EU bans baby bottles containing Bisphenol-A chemical

The European Union (EU) declared that baby bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that can disrupt the endocrine will have to be removed from shops across Europe, starting Wednesday, an official said in the EU's official website.

The chemical can impersonate the body's own hormones,leading to negative health effects. The ban which was earlier discussed in an EU directive came to effect from 1st March. In spite of the ban, shops all over the continent continued selling the product.

June 1 is a milestone in our efforts to better protect the health of EU citizens, in particular the health of our children. Due to the fact that there are uncertainties concerning the effect of the exposure of infants to Bisphenol A, the Commission deemed it both necessary and appropriate to take action. The aim is to further reduce the exposure of the most vulnerable part of our population –i.e. infants, said John Dalli, Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner, in the official website.

According to health officials, BPA gets released from plastic containers into food substances when the containers are exposed to high temperatures. This may lead to early sexual development in children, causing cancer.

In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA as a toxic substance.