Hot topic: Bisphenol A in cow milk and dietary exposure at the farm level

Abstract

Chemical hazards may enter the milk chain during primary production. The study, for the first time, investigated the occurrence of bisphenol A (BPA) levels in cow milk samples collected on the farm following manual or mechanical milking and from the cooling tank. We applied a new monitoring model based on the identification of the hazards at each stage of the milk chain to identify potential pathways for contamination along the milk chain. We evaluated exposure to BPA through milk consumption based on detected contamination levels and the temporary tolerable daily intake established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Milk samples (n = 72) were analyzed using liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The mean BPA concentrations were 0.757 µg/L in manually milked samples, 0.580 µg/L in mechanically milked samples, and 0.797 µg/L in milk from the cooling tank. Bisphenol A occurred in the milk chain as a result of different stages of milking, and reached the highest levels at the end of the milk chain. Although the dietary intake of BPA was below the EFSA's temporary tolerable daily intake, exposure to BPA, even at low doses, through milk consumption represents a public health concern. Therefore, to ensure milk safety, new monitoring plans should be applied based on the identification of hazards at each stage of the milk chain.

Industrial chemical bisphenol A and raw milk: a toxicokinetic study in lactating dairy sheep after repeated dietary and subcutaneous administration

“…The above mentioned concentrations of free BPA measured in this study are well within the range with the concentrations found in raw milk measured in a recent Italian monitoring study, where the concentrations of only free BPA ranged from 0.081 -2.492 µg/L [15]. However, the concentrations measured in commercial milk samples were generally higher (from 14.0 to 521.0 µg/L) [5], meaning that the BPA load in consumption milk is greater at the end of the production line.…”

QuEChERS-Based Methodology for the Screening of Alkylphenols and Bisphenol A in Dairy Products Using LC-LTQ/Orbitrap MS

“…where C is the average or maximum BPA concentration (μg kg −1 ) found across the analyzed milk samples; dIR is the daily ingestion rate (daily consumption of milk in Greece) and BW is the corresponding average Body Weight of consumers. Similarly to other studies [41,42], the dIR used in the above equation is the average daily consumption of milk in Greece for adults, estimated to be 264.9 g /day according to the National Dietary Guidance for adults [43]. Bw is the corresponding average body weight of 60 kg for Greek consumers.…”

Overview of packaging materials for Dairy packaging

“…Factors, such as the ratio of fat/water content and the consistency of the foodstuff may also play an important role in the migration process (Cruz et al, 2008). Compounds such as Bisphenol A (BPA, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) residues may be found in the milk as result of migration from plastic parts (plastic resins, PVC tubing, polycarbonate production) during milking, from milking machines or during transfer from bulk milk to storage tanks of bigger volumes or to smaller containers for distribution and selling (Santonicola et al, 2019).…”