Johannesburg, 26 Jan 2011
There have been many articles in the media over the last 12 months regarding the health risks posed by direct thermal papers containing Bisphenol A.
Thermal paper is what most modern tally rolls, receipt rolls and till rolls are manufactured from, and consumers come into contact with them on a daily basis.
However, says Thorsten Schafer, divisional director of Bytes Technology Group company PaperGeni, direct thermal papers are 100% safe, with no record of a negative impact on consumers.
“To ensure our many clients and their consumers can be put at ease, we are placing on record the proven safety of the use of direct thermal papers,” says Schafer.
“Bisphenol A ranks as one of the best investigated substances worldwide and no study has achieved reproducible results indicating a negative impact. In addition, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment stated in 2008 that there is no risk to human health through handling products which contain Bisphenol A, and has recently reconfirmed this position.”
Schafer points out that the evidence for the safety of Bisphenol A is overwhelming:
* The European Food and Safety Association (EFSA) has reached the same conclusion, which is reflected in the high threshold value for Bisphenol A being established. Exposure levels are about 1 000 times below safe intake levels, even for cashiers who have constant contact.
* The British Environmental Agency states in its risk assessment issued in February 2010 that there is no risk to human health through handling direct thermal papers containing Bisphenol A. It has also confirmed that there is no risk to the environment through recycling of direct thermal papers.
* The German Minister of the Environment, Dr Norbert R"ottgen, stated in the Westdeutsche Fernsehen TV programme "Markt" in June 2010: "Bisphenol A in sales receipts is harmless, as there is no significant absorption through the skin. It has been known for a long time that Bisphenol A is present in direct thermal papers. Bisphenol A has no acute toxicity."
“We know if someone reads articles about Bisphenol A, it could be concluded that it is even more dangerous than arsenic or plutonium, but this is likely due to the inadequate knowledge of the journalists,” says Schafer. “Often, articles have just been copied and each of the journalists wants to make his article more dramatic than the initial one. But contact to this chemical will not affect human health.
“Where studies mention doses of daily intake, we need to understand that Bisphenol A is not food. It is a chemical like many other chemicals in daily life. Nobody drinks petrol or toilet cleaner. No one is likely to eat a till slip after shopping, and even if they do, they will not become ill or die.”
PaperGeni's thermal paper does indeed contain Bisphenol A, as do almost all of the papers used in cash registers.
“Bisphenol A is safe according to the US and European authorities, the Japanese government, and many more. The most stringent EU risk assessment concluded that there is no human risk using or handling thermal paper, including Bisphenol A,” concludes Schafer. “Thermal paper free of Bisphenol A is available, and subject to a higher cost and minimum order quantities.”
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