Assessment of the Awareness Regarding Bisphenol A (BPA) in Food Packaging, Its Health Hazards and BPA-Related Labels Among Sri Lankan Consumers

Abstract

Plastics are widely used in everyday life, particularly in food and beverage packaging. Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and resins, is classified as an endocrine disruptor. Several studies have found an association between BPA exposure and the development of adverse health effects such as cancer, infertility, diabetes, and obesity. Leaching of BPA from plastic containers is the main route of human exposure to BPA. This survey was conducted to assess the awareness regarding the health hazards of BPA in plastic packaging and the BPA-related labels among the Sri Lankan consumers. Survey was conducted between January and August 2022 across the country by distributing an online questionnaire including 806 participants. The questionnaire was divided into three major sections: demographics, knowledge and practices about usage of plastic food and beverage packaging, and awareness of health hazards of BPA and BPA-related labels. Collected data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test and Spearman’s rank correlation test (α = 0.05). Findings revealed that, almost all respondents use plastics and 47% ± 0.042 use plastic daily but the level of knowledge of BPA and its associated health risks among the respondents was very low. Only 30% ± 0.283 of respondents were aware about the BPA and 27% ± 0.283 were aware of the health hazards associated with BPA. 67% ± 0.212 of consumers were not aware about BPA-free plastic types. Chi-square test results revealed that gender, age, educational level, and residential area have a statistically significant relationship (P < 0.05) with the awareness about BPA-free plastic packages. Websites, scientific publications, and social media were the main sources of knowledge regarding BPA. In conclusion, awareness about BPA and its associated health hazards is very low among the Sri Lankan consumers. Results also highlight significant shortcomings in the respondents’ general attitude against plastic packaging.