Can bisphenol B in food packaging cause miscarriage?

What's actually in it

Bisphenol B (BPB) is a chemical cousin of BPA that shows up in food can linings, plastic food containers, and some industrial coatings. It's less well-known than BPA, BPS, or BPF, which means it flies under the radar of most "BPA-free" labels. BPB has estrogen-mimicking properties similar to BPA and can disrupt reproductive hormones.

Like other bisphenols, BPB leaches from packaging into food, especially acidic or fatty foods, and enters the body through the digestive system.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Sci Technol found that bisphenol B exposure caused miscarriage by blocking two processes essential for pregnancy: cell migration and migrasome formation.

For an embryo to implant in the uterus, uterine lining cells need to migrate and reorganize. They also form structures called migrasomes, small vesicles that help cells communicate and move into position. BPB suppressed both of these processes, leaving the uterine lining unable to receive and support an embryo.

Without successful implantation, the pregnancy fails very early, often before a person even knows they're pregnant. The study showed these effects at low doses consistent with environmental exposure levels.

This adds to the growing evidence that "BPA-free" labels don't guarantee safety, because related bisphenols can cause similar or even different types of harm. To protect early pregnancy, use glass or stainless steel for food storage and avoid canned goods when possible, since can linings are a major source of bisphenol exposure.