Bisphenol A levels in olive oil from different storage containers
What it found
Olive oil stored in plastic held more bisphenol A than oil in other containers, especially after a year.
The estimated human intake was 1.38% of the European daily limit.
What they found
Plastic vs other containers
Oil kept in plastic held an average of 333 μg/kg of bisphenol A. Oil in non-plastic containers averaged 150 μg/kg.
Storage time in plastic
Oil stored in plastic for over a year averaged 452 μg/kg. Oil stored for under a year averaged 288 μg/kg.
Source of the oil
Oil from local villagers averaged 376 μg/kg. Oil from mills averaged 228 μg/kg.
Estimated human exposure
The authors calculated that eating this oil would provide 1.38% of the European daily limit for bisphenol A.
What the authors conclude
- They say this is the first report on bisphenol A levels in Mediterranean olive oil.
- They conclude that the estimated exposure is only 1.38% of the European daily limit, so they see no reason for concern about health risks from eating this olive oil.
How it was done
Bisphenol A is widely used in packaging and can move into food and drinks. Animal studies have linked it to tumours and hormone changes, so the authors wanted to measure how much people might take in from olive oil.
They collected 27 olive oil samples from mills and local villagers in a major harvesting region in Lebanon. They recorded how each sample was stored and measured the bisphenol A using lab equipment.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work measured a chemical in oil samples rather than tracking health effects in people or animals.
- It cannot show whether the bisphenol A found in these oils causes any harm to humans.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- American University of Beirut, Lebanon
The paper
- Title
- Bisphenol A exposure assessment from olive oil consumption
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Abou Omar TF, Sukhn C, Fares SA, Abiad MG, Habib RR, Dhaini HR (2017). Bisphenol A exposure assessment from olive oil consumption. Environmental monitoring and assessment. doi:10.1007/s10661-017-6048-6PubMed 28623573DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error