Food & Drink / Compounds / Bisphenol F (BPF)

Bisphenol F (BPF) in food: ingestion safety

Moderate risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Bisphenol F (BPF; 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylmethane) is a structural analog of bisphenol A (BPA) increasingly used as a BPA replacement in food can linings, thermal paper, epoxy resins, and food contact materials. BPF was introduced to the market as a presumptively safer BPA alternative based on the assumption that the methylene bridge would reduce estrogenic potency — this assumption has proven incorrect. In vitro studies show BPF binds estrogen receptor α (ERα) with comparable or slightly lower affinity to BPA; some studies report greater ERβ activity than BPA. BPF has been detected in >97% of US human urine samples in NHANES-adjacent surveys, with geometric mean concentrations approaching BPA levels, indicating substantial population exposure. BPF is not IARC-classified. EU regulation: no specific BPF restriction in food contact materials as of 2024, though BPF migration limits are under EFSA scientific review. The 'BPA-free but BPF-exposed' situation represents a regrettable substitution where safety data did not precede commercialization.

What is bisphenol f (bpf)?

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

Also known as: 4-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]phenol, 4,4'-Methylenediphenol, Bisphenol F, 4,4'-Dihydroxydiphenylmethane.

IUPAC name
4-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]phenol
CAS number
620-92-8
Molecular formula
C13H12O2
Molecular weight
200.23 g/mol
SMILES
C1=CC(=CC=C1CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)O
PubChem CID
12111

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Bisphenol F (BPF; 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylmethane) is a structural analog of bisphenol A (BPA) increasingly used as a BPA replacement in food can linings, thermal paper, epoxy resins, and food contact materials. BPF was introduced to the market as a presumptively safer BPA alternative based on the assumption that the methylene bridge would reduce estrogenic potency — this assumption has proven incorrect. In vitro studies show BPF binds estrogen receptor α (ERα) with comparable or slightly lower affinity to BPA; some studies report greater ERβ activity than BPA. BPF has been detected in >97% of US human urine samples in NHANES-adjacent surveys, with geometric mean concentrations approaching BPA levels, indicating substantial population exposure. BPF is not IARC-classified. EU regulation: no specific BPF restriction in food contact materials as of 2024, though BPF migration limits are under EFSA scientific review. The 'BPA-free but BPF-exposed' situation represents a regrettable substitution where safety data did not precede commercialization.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Bisphenol F (BPF).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Sensitization: SkinSens1 (score: high)

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 f (bpf)

  • 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 F (BPF):

  • Bio-based polymer alternatives where available
    Trade-offs: Performance limitations. End-of-life complexity.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

What products contain bisphenol f (bpf)?

Bisphenol F (BPF) 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 F (BPF) in the food app

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

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. US EPA: Bisphenol F — Systematic Review of Toxicological Literature and Human Exposure Assessment (2018) — regulatory
  2. EFSA: Re-evaluation of the Risks to Public Health from Bisphenol A (BPA) in Foodstuffs — Comprehensive Assessment Including Bisphenol Analogues (2023) — regulatory
  3. WHO/UNEP: State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals — Bisphenol Compounds and Regrettable Substitution (2012) — 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 →