Foodservice Equipment Association Calls On Members To Prepare for BPA Ban

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) is calling on members to begin preparing for the ban of Bisphenols, (notably A “BPA”) from materials intended to come into contact with food, recently announced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).The FSA does not cover Scotland, however the ban is also expected to be enforced by Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

BPA is a chemical used in the manufacture of some hard plastics, and protective linings for food and drink containers, as well as packaging and equipment. It has been linked with hormone changes in humans in certain use cases. The ban will cover food contact materials, which the FSA defines as materials and articles that come into contact with food during production, processing, storage, preparation or serving.

This includes containers used for transportation of food and packaging materials as well as kitchen and tableware.

The FSA reached this ruling following a consultation process, and FEA is highlighting that it will directly affect many products made and supplied by its members and other companies in the industry. This includes utensils, chopping boards, storage containers, drinking vessels, tableware and kitchenware.

Once the ban is fully implemented, any products intended to come into contact with food or drink, including any products that could be reasonably expected to come into contact with them, will be prohibited from sale in the UK. It is expected that existing pre-sold stock will remain in circulation and not be subject to recall, however, FEA is working to confirm this definitively.

Furthermore, the EU has restrictions that will come into force from 20th July 2026 for single use plastics, which will mean that UK stock cannot be sold to EU countries. The FSA is proposing to match the EU’s dates of transition which means that the ban of BPA products in the UK will be undertaken in phases.

The proposed timeline is: single use products will be banned from 20th July 2026; repeat use food contact materials will be banned from 20th July 2027; and the ban on repeat use food contact materials for professional food preparation equipment will come into force in January 2028.

FEA are working to confirm the definition of professional food preparation in the context of the ban. It should not, at this stage, be assumed that this covers commercial foodservice equipment.

FEA will also be developing support for its members who will be affected by this change, but in the meantime it recommends looking at how to source BPA-free products to replace any critical equipment. “They should pay specific attention to regulations surrounding PFAS alongside the BPA ban,” says Luke Slater, Technical and Policy Director of FEA. “In particular, whether any alternatives are compatible with proposed EU/UK PFAS regulations, to avoid further changes to supply chains in the future. Members will undoubtedly have questions regarding the implementation and enforcement of the ban; we are here to support and encourage those affected to reach out to FEA for further guidance”.