Food & Drink / Compounds / Bisphenol E (BPE)

Bisphenol E (BPE) in food: ingestion safety

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Bisphenol E (BPE; CAS 2081-08-5) presents a low risk to human adults at current ambient exposure levels. BPE has demonstrated estrogenic activity in vitro but with generally lower ERα binding potency than BPA in most assays. Dietary exposure from food contact materials and environmental sources is expected to be substantially lower than BPA exposure (which itself was reassessed by EFSA in 2023 at a dramatically reduced TDI of 0.2 ng/kg bw/day). Limited in vivo reproductive and developmental toxicology data exist for BPE as an individual compound. In the absence of IARC, EFSA, or US EPA individual assessment, risk is extrapolated from class considerations. Current ambient human exposure is likely low.

What is bisphenol e (bpe)?

The IUPAC name is 4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]phenol.

Also known as: 4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]phenol, Bisphenol E, 1,1-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, 9U3NFM6ULF.

IUPAC name
4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]phenol
CAS number
2081-08-5
Molecular formula
C14H14O2
Molecular weight
214.26 g/mol
SMILES
CC(C1=CC=C(C=C1)O)C2=CC=C(C=C2)O
PubChem CID
608116

Risk for people

Low risk

Bisphenol E (BPE; CAS 2081-08-5) presents a low risk to human adults at current ambient exposure levels. BPE has demonstrated estrogenic activity in vitro but with generally lower ERα binding potency than BPA in most assays. Dietary exposure from food contact materials and environmental sources is expected to be substantially lower than BPA exposure (which itself was reassessed by EFSA in 2023 at a dramatically reduced TDI of 0.2 ng/kg bw/day). Limited in vivo reproductive and developmental toxicology data exist for BPE as an individual compound. In the absence of IARC, EFSA, or US EPA individual assessment, risk is extrapolated from class considerations. Current ambient human exposure is likely low.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Bisphenol E (BPE).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EFSA / ECHA (BPE not individually evaluated for carcinogenicity; bisphenol structural analog; estrogenic activity documented — lower ERα binding potency than BPA in most in vitro assays; no carcinogenicity classification by IARC, EFSA, NTP, or US EPA as individual compound; increasing industrial interest as BPA alternative in epoxy resins; EU food contact materials regulations restrict BPA specifically but do not currently address BPE individually)2023no carcinogenicity classification; bisphenol analog with documented estrogenic activity; emerging BPA replacement in some epoxy resin applications; lower ERα potency than BPA; not classified by IARC, EFSA, NTP, or US EPA for carcinogenicity

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter bisphenol e (bpe)

  • Consumer Products — Plastic bottles and containers, Food packaging, Plastic toys and household items
  • Drinking Water — Leaching from plastic pipes, Migration from bottled water containers
  • Indoor Environments — Off-gassing from plastic furniture, Degradation of plastic products

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Bisphenol E (BPE):

  • NSF-certified activated carbon filtration
    Trade-offs: Does not remove all contaminants. Requires filter replacement.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

What products contain bisphenol e (bpe)?

Bisphenol E (BPE) appears in: Plastic bottles and containers (Consumer products); Food packaging (Consumer products); Leaching from plastic pipes (Drinking water); Migration from bottled water containers (Drinking water); Off-gassing from plastic furniture (Indoor environments).

See Bisphenol E (BPE) in the food app

Look up products containing bisphenol e (bpe), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. EFSA BPA 2023 TDI 0.2 ng/kg/day; BPE Structural Analog Lower ERα RBA Than BPA; Epoxy Resin BPA Substitute; No IARC EFSA NTP EPA Carcinogenicity Classification; Regrettable Substitution Concern; WWTP ng/L Detection (2023) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →