EU BPA Ban on Food-Contact Materials: What Exporters Need

The EU has banned bisphenol A (BPA) in most materials that come into contact with food. Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3190, adopted on 19 December 2024, prohibits using BPA, and other hazardous bisphenols, with limited exceptions listed in its Annex II, to make food-contact materials such as plastics, can coatings, adhesives and inks placed on the EU market. Most transition periods ended on 20 July 2026; a few product groups have until 20 January 2028.

If you export food packaging, packaged food or kitchenware to the EU, here's what the EU BPA ban covers and what to check.

What the ban covers

The regulation applies to food-contact materials and articles made with BPA, including:

• plastics (such as polycarbonate);
• varnishes and coatings (such as the inside lining of food and drink cans);
• adhesives, printing inks, rubbers, silicones and ion-exchange resins.

It also restricts other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives classified as hazardous, so simply switching to a closely related bisphenol may not make a product compliant. Before this regulation, the EU had already banned BPA in polycarbonate infant feeding bottles (Commission Directive 2011/8/EU) and restricted it in some other uses. The new rules extend the ban to food-contact materials in general. The European Commission's food contact materials page explains the wider framework.

Key dates

Read directly from the regulation and the correcting Regulation (EU) 2026/250 of 2 February 2026:

Single-use packaging first placed on the market within those periods can still be filled and sealed for 12 months afterwards, and the packaged food can then be sold until stocks run out. Repeat-use articles first placed on the market by 20 July 2026 can stay on the market until 20 July 2027; professional food production equipment first placed on the market by 20 January 2028 can stay until 20 January 2029. Check the exact wording for your product in the regulation.

Who is affected

• Packaging manufacturers exporting cans, closures, plastic containers or coated packaging to the EU.
• Food and drink exporters whose products are packed in materials that may contain BPA, especially canned goods.
• Kitchenware and appliance makers selling items that touch food, such as polycarbonate containers or coated cookware parts.
• Importers and distributors in the EU, who need proof from their suppliers that materials comply.

Products and HS codes affected

The ban follows the material, not the tariff code, so you can't identify affected goods by HS code alone. Still, the codes help you find which of your products to check:

• plastic packaging and household articles: Chapter 39 (HS codes for plastics);
• metal cans and containers: Chapters 73 (iron and steel) and 76 (aluminium);
• packaged foods themselves: the chapter for the food, with the packaging checked separately.

Not sure of the code? Ask Compliance for the HS code of your packaging or product. Start free (free plan, no card).

What exporters to the EU should do

1. List every food-contact material in your products and packaging, including can linings, lids, seals, adhesives and inks.
2. Ask your suppliers whether BPA or other hazardous bisphenols are used, and get it in writing.
3. Update the declaration of compliance that must accompany food-contact materials in the EU, reflecting the new rules.
4. Plan the switch to BPA-free alternatives and test them for your product (shelf life, corrosion, taste).
5. Check stock timing: packaging made before the deadlines may still be usable for a limited time, but plan your production around the dates above.
6. Keep documents ready for your EU importer and for inspections. See documents required by HS code, and work out your import duty separately: the BPA rules don't change tariffs.

FAQ

Has the EU banned BPA?
Yes, in food-contact materials. Regulation (EU) 2024/3190 prohibits BPA in the manufacture of most food-contact materials, with transition periods that mostly ended on 20 July 2026.

Does the EU BPA ban apply to imported goods?
Yes. It applies to food-contact materials placed on the EU market, whether they're made in the EU or imported.

Are other bisphenols allowed instead?
Not automatically. The regulation also covers other bisphenols and derivatives classified as hazardous, so check any substitute carefully.

When does the BPA ban apply to cans?
Most single-use cans made with BPA couldn't be first placed on the EU market after 20 July 2026. Cans for fruit, vegetables or fishery products, and cans with BPA only on the outside, have until 20 January 2028.

Check the code for your plastic packaging. Boxes, bottles, lids and other plastic packing articles sit under heading 3923; see the subheadings, notes and duty rates on the HS code page for 3923.