The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will reopen its evaluation of the potential effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on the immune system in light of fresh scientific evidence discovered by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). After examining the new data, EFSA said its expert panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF Panel) aims to report back in the next few months.

Simultaneously, the EU’s food watchdog announced it will develop a “scientific protocol” for a BPA-related structured literature search and a transparent review of all the new scientific evidence not included in the previous assessment.

RIVM said it had concluded a new review was needed following its evaluation of recent international research for a two-phase study of BPA’s effects on the immune systems of fetuses and young children commissioned by the Dutch government. The health institute said some of the research was not yet published when EFSA drew its original conclusions about the safety of the chemical used to make polycarbonate and epoxy resin can liners in 2014.

In its report published in early 2015, the EU’s food watchdog said it believed that exposure to BPA posed no health risk to consumers of any age group, either from diet or a combination of other external sources such as thermal paper. It also saw no need to further reduce its recommended daily exposure level before results of studies by the US National Toxicology Program are published in 2017.

Like ECHA, the body that administrates the EU’s REACH legislation, RIVM is critical of the effects of continued use of thermal paper on the reproductive systems of retail workers and shoppers. Two ECHA committees have already expressed support for a French proposal to restrict the use of thermal paper as well as upgrading the chemical’s mandatory classification from category 2 to 1B (presumed human reproductive toxicant that may damage fertility).

The Dutch institute suggested that a number of EU directives and regulations – or even parts of REACH – may have to be revised to reduce exposure of certain risk groups to BPA. These could include directives on industrial emissions, waste, toy safety, drinking water or chemical agents, carcinogens and mutagens, as well as regulations governing young people and pregnant or breastfeeding women at work, cosmetics and plastic materials in food contact applications.