On February 27, 2025, the German consumer organization Öko Test published a report analyzing the presence of bisphenols in takeaway pizza boxes sold in Europe. The study examined various paper-based pizza boxes for the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS). Since January 20, 2025, both substances have been prohibited in food contact materials such as can coatings, reusable plastic drinking bottles, and kitchenware in the European Union (EU) (FPF reported). However, this regulation does not extend to paper-based packaging.
The investigation included five pizza boxes from well-known German pizza chains and five from large online and retail suppliers. However, the report does not specify how many items of each sample were tested. Additional items of each sample would need to be tested to verify the results. Their laboratory testing revealed that BPA and BPS were present in nine and eight out of ten boxes, respectively. The only pizza box that tested negative for both BPA and BPS belonged to Pizza Hut, which uses fresh fiber for the outer layer instead of recycled paper.
Furthermore, the study tested for the migration of these substances into the pizza. Migration of BPA was observed in four out of nine cases, while BPS migrated in all eight tested samples.
One pizza sample contained particularly high levels of BPA, exceeding the tolerable daily intake (TDI) defined by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) by 45,000%.
BPA has repeatedly been shown to be harmful to human health, even at low doses. In April 2023, EFSA set the TDI of BPA at 0.2 ng/kg/day based on its impact on the immune system (FPF reported). The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) classifies BPA as toxic to reproduction, skin sensitizing, and endocrine disrupting. BPS is classified as toxic to reproduction and endocrine disrupting.
According to the Öko Test report, these bisphenols are considered non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in the pizza boxes. The authors hypothesize that the chemicals originate from improperly sorted waste. One potential source of contamination is thermal paper receipts, which were historically produced using BPA (FPF reported and here). The EU banned BPA in thermal paper in 2020, leading manufacturers to frequently switch to BPS as an alternative, which remains permitted. This shift may account for the higher levels of BPS compared to BPA detected in the study, the authors say.
Reference
Öko Test (February 27, 2025) “Pizzakartons mit Bisphenolen: Chemikalien wandern häufig in die Pizza.” In German
