Bisphenol A: Food Exposure and Impact on Human Health Susana Almeida, Ant´ onio Raposo , Maira Almeida-Gonz´ alez, and Conrado Carrascosa Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial compound used extensively to produce synthetic polymers, such as epoxy resins, which are incorporated into the inner coating of metal cans, and also to manufacture polycarbonates with applications in bottles, including bottles of water. Several studies have reported on the transfer of this compound to food. Regarding human exposure to BPA, food intake can be considered the most serious among all the routes, not only because it potentially reaches more people in different age groups (including infants, an especially vulnerable group), but also because it inadvertently occurs over long time periods. BPA is considered an endocrine disruptor and several studies have proposed a relationship between exposure to BPA and the appearance of adverse health effects, such as cancer, infertility, diabetes, and obesity, among others. In 2015 however, the European Food Safety Authority concluded in its last scientific opinion that this compound does not pose any risk to the exposed population’s health. Therefore, the EU regards BPA as an authorized product to be used as food contact material. Although BPA intake through food is apparently below the set limits, research into BPA and its potential negative effects is still ongoing. This review contains the most recent in vitro and in vivo studies on BPA toxicity and its harmful effects on health, and it intends to address human exposure to BPA, namely through dietary exposure and its impact on human health. Keywords: bisphenol A, epoxy resins, food exposure, health, toxicity Introduction Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical, which is widely used as a monomer or additive in the manufacture of polycarbon- ates (PCs), epoxy resins, and other polymeric materials. Although PC and epoxy resins are major BPA applications, other uses in- clude flame retardants, unsaturated polyester resins, polysulfone resins, polyetherimide resins, and polyarylate resins (Huang, Zhuo, Wang, & Wang, 2011). However, PC was the primary driver of demand for BPA in 2015, and accounted for nearly 64% of the world’s BPA demand, whereas epoxy resins, the second-largest end use, accounted for 34%. These two BPA demand drivers are expected to respectively grow at average annual rates of almost 3% and 4% over the next 5 yr (IHS Markit, 2016). The global volume BPA consumption (in metric tons and USD) for different application areas was estimated at 7.7 million metric tons in 2015, is forecast to be 8 million metric tons in 2016, and is expected to reach 10.6 million metric tons in 2022 at a compound CRF3-2018-0107 Submitted 12/5/2018, Accepted 7/25/2018. Authors Almeida and Raposo are with CBIOS (Research Center for Biosciences and Health Technolo- gies), Univ. Lus´ ofona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Campo Grande 376, 1749- 024, Lisboa, Portugal. Author Almeida-Gonz´ alez is with Toxicology Unit, Research Inst. of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Univ. de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Paseo Blas Cabrera s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Author Carrascosa is with Dept. of Animal Pathology and Production, Bromatology and Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Univ. de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmonta˜ na s/n, 35413, Arucas, Spain. Direct inquiries to author Raposo (E-mail antonio.raposo@ulusofona.pt). annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% between 2016 and 2022. In value terms, global BPA demand is likely to register a faster CAGR of 5.4% over the same period and reach an expected USD 22.5 billion by 2022 from an estimated USD 15.6 billion in 2015, with a forecast USD 16.4 billion in 2016. Asia Pacific has the largest market for BPA with 53% of the market share, whereas 36% goes to Western Europe and USA (Global Industry Analysts, Inc., 2015; Industry Experts, 2016). These data indicate a meaningful increase in BPA consumption in spite of a number of countries, such as the United States, Canada, and European Union, having prohibited the use of BPA in baby feeding bottles. The rigidity, transparency, and resistance that BPA confers on PC mean that these plastics are much preferred for various technical applications, and also to produce containers for food and liquids, such as bottles, mugs, boards, and water tanks. Moreover, the phenolic epoxy resins that BPA contains in its chemical composition are used in the protective coating of beverage and food containers, and also in residential drinking water storage tanks (EFSA CEF Panel [EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids], 2015). Nevertheless, the transfer of BPA from food-contact materials to food has been described (Maia et al., 2010; Nam, Seo, & Kim, 2010; Sun, Xu, Chen, Song, & Wang, 2006). This transfer is amplified by heating, contact with alkaline or acidic substances, overuse, and exposure to microwaves, and leads to BPA intake through food (Bertoli, 2015). Some studies show that contact with food leads to the presence of nonconjugated BPA in the serum of adult C  2018 Institute of Food Technologists ® doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12388 Vol. 17, 2018  Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 1503