Plea over 'danger' chemical in baby bottles

The European Commission ban, endorsed by EU food safety experts, will remove Bisphenol A from plastic infant feeding bottles.

The decision follows months of talks with manufacturers, EU governments and experts. Labour leader in the European Parliament Glenis Willmott urged the industry not to wait until the deadline for applying the new rule.

She said: "There is no reason to continue using this chemical –most manufacturers have already phased it out and safe substitutes are available. France, Denmark, Canada, Australia and some US states already have bans in place.

"The Commission has been clear that it will introduce a ban as quickly as possible, but baby bottle manufacturers should act now to remove this potentially harmful chemical from their products immediately."

MEPs called for restrictions on Bisphenol A last June.

The substance is used in many clear hard plastics, but evidence has been growing that the chemical, an endocrine disrupter, can interfere with infant development and can be passed to babies when they drink from bottles made using the chemical.

Monique Goyens, director general of BEUC, the European Consumers' Organisation, said the ban was an important signal to consumers.

"We hope this endocrine disrupter will soon be forbidden in all consumer products, and we urge the EU to make progress on the persistent issue of 'chemical cocktails' in products."

Governments will have to ban the making of polycarbonate infant feeding bottles containing BPA from March 1 with a complete ban on their marketing or import into the EU from June 1.

European health and consumer commissioner John Dalli said: "This is good news for European consumers."