The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released its updated risk assessment on emerging and novel brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Published on July 27, 2026, in the EFSA Journal, the report covers 27 BFRs and relies on more than a decade of new data as compared to the previous assessment in 2012. The new assessment identifies previously unknown health concerns for several substances. Further, it highlights major data gaps that continue to limit the understanding of human exposure to BFRs and the risks such exposure may pose.
What are brominated flame retardants (BFRs)?
Brominated flame retardants are chemicals used to reduce flammability in a variety of products and materials, including plastics used in electronic and electrical equipment (FPF reported). There are several chemical classes of BFRs, including hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and its derivatives, brominated phenols and their derivatives, and other novel and emerging BFRs. HBCDD and several PBDEs are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are regulated globally under the Stockholm Convention on POPs (FPF reported). Human exposure to BFRs can occur through multiple pathways, including contaminated food and dust. Consumer products containing BFRs may contribute to these exposures through the release of the chemicals into the surrounding environment or directly into food.
What does the latest evidence say?
Based on toxicological studies published since 2012, EFSA newly concluded that tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (TDBPP, CAS 126-72-7), dibromoneopentyl glycol (DBNPG, CAS 3296-90-0), and tetrabromoneopentyl alcohol (TBNPA, CAS 1522-92-5) are genotoxic and carcinogenic. The Food Packaging Forum’s Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex) shows that scientists have detected TDBPP in plastic food contact materials. EFSA also identified evidence of neurotoxic and reproductive or developmental effects for several other BFRs.
Recycled food contact plastics are possible sources of BFR exposure
The report notes that food contact materials and kitchen utensils made from recycled plastics may contribute to human exposure to BFRs. EFSA cites a 2024 study by Liu et al. that analyzed 203 consumer products purchased in the United States, including food serving items and kitchen utensils made from recycled plastics. Approximately 15% of the tested food contact materials contained BFRs, which may have been linked to contamination of recycling streams with plastics originating from electronic waste, the authors suggested (FPF reported). However, EFSA considers exposure from recycled plastic food contact materials likely to be minor relative to the broader uncertainties in the assessment.
Major knowledge gaps remain
Despite the substantial expansion of available data, EFSA was only able to fully characterize the risk of a small number of substances, reflecting longstanding gaps in occurrence, exposure, and toxicological data. For three BFRs – bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP, CAS 26040-51-7), 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB, CAS 183658-27-7), and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE, CAS 84852-53-9) – EFSA concluded that current dietary exposure does not raise concerns for the assessed non-cancer effects. However, for the remaining substances, available information was insufficient to support robust risk characterization. EFSA therefore calls for additional occurrence, biomonitoring, and toxicity data, as well as better access to regulatory data, to improve future risk assessments.
References
Knutsen, H. K. et al. (18 June 2026). “Update of the risk assessment on emerging and novel brominated flame retardants in food.” EFSA Journal.
