France recalls Olympic water bottles due to contamination

The French government has recalled children's bottles branded with the Olympic logo due to excessive levels of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A, a substance banned in the country since 2015, with less than a week to go. The authorities announced that any bottles purchased should be returned.

According to the government's Rappel Conso (Consumer Recall) website, the reusable bottles made by Vilac contain "levels of bisphenol A that do not comply with the regulations" for products intended to come into contact with food. Less than a week before the start of the Olympic Games, the French authorities have recalled children's water bottles bearing the Olympic logo due to excessive levels of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A.

The bottles, which have been on sale since August last year, are white with beige, blue or red tops and feature the Olympic rings, the Paris 2024 mascot or the Olympic flame. The government added that those who have bought the bottles should return them to the place of purchase.

Since 2015, France has banned bisphenol A, which was previously widely used in the manufacture of food containers. It has been labelled an endocrine disruptor by France's food safety agency, Anses, and is believed to be linked to health problems such as breast cancer and infertility.

Bisphenol A has been a banned substance in France since 2015. GETTY IMAGES

With less than a week to go until the start of the Olympic Games and the heat rising in Paris, the government has taken urgent action. The authorities have called on those who have the bottles at home, many of whom may have bought them as souvenirs or to pay tribute to the sporting event, to return them. Not only should they not be consumed, but they must be returned and taken out of circulation.

As many of the bottles had designs associated with the Games, not all of them were purchased for consumption. Nevertheless, they must be withdrawn and returned as soon as possible.

Identified as an endocrine disruptor, BPA has been linked to breast and ovarian cancer, as well as immune, thyroid and metabolic problems. The European Food Safety Authority itself states that bisphenol A in food poses a health risk.

BPA-free bottles are usually identified by the recycling code, which indicates the type of plastic used to make the product. Those with the numbers 7, 3 and 10 may contain higher levels of BPA. BPA-free bottles have recycling codes 1, 2, 4 and 5.