Greiner Packaging to ban BPA in packaging by mid-2014

Greiner Packaging is to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from the use of its food packaging by the end of March 2014.

Currently, Tritan copolyester from Eastman Chemical is the preferred BPA-free raw material. Tritan was recently backed in a US lawsuit.

The changeover mainly concerns 5-gallon water bottles that were still being produced from polycarbonate per customer requirements.

The firm has the majority of its business in Europe, with 32 sites and one facility in Mexico.

A Greiner Packaging spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com that the timescale was set to give enough time to enable the switch to BPA-free for its customers.

“There are more and more discussions about legislation, as we see in France with the ban and the rumours in Sweden, we want to be on the safe side for the consumer.

“We are using it [Tritan copolyester] at the moment but we are always looking at alternatives.”