Baby feeding bottles are to be made safer under an EU ban on the use of a potentially harmful chemical in their manufacture.

The ban on Bisphenol A (BPA) will enter into force in about the middle of next year.

This decision was taken by the EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health after months of discussion and exchange of views between the European Commission’s services, the European Food Safety Agency, member states and the industry.

Various tests show BPA can leak from the bottle into any liquid it contains, with potentially damaging results – the organic compound is believed to impair development in toddlers. The chemical is widely used in making hard, clear plastic and is commonly found in food and drink containers.

The EU’s decision follows a similar ban imposed last month when America officially classed BPA as harmful because of its “biological diversity”. Several US manufacturers have voluntarily withdrawn the compound.

Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner John Dalli described the decision as good news for European consumers.

“There were areas of uncertainty, deriving from new studies, which showed that BPA might have an effect on the development, immune response or tumour promotion. European parents can now be sure that as of mid-2011 plastic infant feeding bottles will not include BPA,” he said.

As Malta does not produce any of these bottles, the ban on the importation and selling of these products will come into effect from June.