EU Issues Correction to BPA Food Contact Regulation (EU) 2026/250

The correction was adopted on 2 February 2026 and published in the Official Journal on 3 February 2026. It amends parts of Regulation (EU) 2024/3190, which set out the EU’s BPA controls for certain materials intended to come into contact with food.

What The Commission Corrected

Several changes address internal inconsistencies that could create compliance ambiguity:

• References to “BPA and its salts” were aligned with the definition of bisphenols, so the operative text consistently refers to BPA.
• The derogation framework was clarified so it covers both manufacture and placing on the Union market of food contact materials and articles for specific applications.
• Analytical language was tightened so method selection explicitly targets the absence of residual BPA when demonstrating compliance.

For businesses that rely on declarations of compliance and supply chain documentation, these changes matter because they reduce the risk of misinterpretation in audits, customer assurance requests and enforcement checks.

Transitional Dates Clarified for Packaging and Reusable Articles

The regulation also corrects transitional provisions that determine which products can be sold, and for how long, if they were made under pre-existing rules.

For single-use final food contact articles manufactured using BPA, the corrected text confirms that certain items may be first placed on the market until 20 July 2026, with a longer derogation until 20 January 2028 for specific categories, including packaging intended for the preservation of certain fruits, vegetables and fishery products, and cases where BPA-made varnishes or coatings are applied only to an exterior metal surface. It also clarifies how long such articles may be filled and sealed after the relevant period ends, with packaged food remaining on the market until stocks are exhausted.

For repeat-use final food contact articles, the correction adds an additional end date so that items first placed on the market under the earlier transitional route can remain on the market until 20 July 2027, while those placed under the longer route may remain until 20 January 2029.

Summary

Regulation (EU) 2026/250 is a technical correction, but it has practical value: it tightens the legal language that underpins testing, documentation and transitional planning. Companies supplying food packaging, coatings and reusable food contact articles should review their product classifications, compliance statements and transition schedules against the corrected text.