Science Media Centre

A study published today in the journal PLOS One suggests that people who frequently handle thermal cash register paper are exposed to high levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used to coat till receipts. Researchers from the University of Missouri and the Universite de Toulouse set up an experiment where 10 individuals used hand sanitiser, touched a […]

Two environmental scientists are warning that the synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storage, and processing of foodstuffs might be harmful to human health over the long term. This is because most of these substances are not inert and can leach into the foods we eat, they say.  The paper ‘Food packaging and migration of […]

The European Commission decided last week to bar use of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles. This follows a similar ban in Canada in 2008, and restrictions imposed in Denmark, France and some US states. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s most recent statement and backgrounder on BPA state that they are following […]

Food packaging consultant, expert witness, author and University of Queensland Professor Gordon Robertson delves into food packaging and its impact on food hazards in this presentation given yesterday at the New Zealand Food Safety 2010 conference held in Auckland. While packaging removes some hazards and makes food safer, can it introduce new problems? Issues examined […]

COP 15: Is a deal on the cards? The Copenhagen climate conference kicks off over the weekend and while there won’t be many (if any) New Zealand scientists attending, the New Zealand media will be well-represented (six journalists will be on the ground covering it) and the conference has high-level political buy-in with the Prime […]

BPA is a chemical widely-used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins inside food and beverage cans, and other household and consumer goods. A growing movement to ban its use — due to health concerns — has been gaining traction internationally, especially in Canada and the EU. In the US, the FDA has called […]