Can BPA from baby bottles leach into milk and formula?

What's actually in it

Baby bottles are made from polycarbonate plastic, polypropylene, or glass. Polycarbonate bottles contain bisphenol A (BPA) as a core building block. Even some bottles marketed as "BPA-free" can contain bisphenol S or other bisphenol replacements that behave similarly in the body. Milk packaging uses plastic liners that can also contain bisphenols.

When you heat formula or breast milk in a plastic bottle, BPA leaches out faster. Warm milk, acidic juice, or hot water all pull more BPA from the plastic than cold liquids do.

What the research says

A 2025 study in Food Chem X tested a range of baby bottles and packaged milk products for BPA contamination. The researchers found detectable BPA levels in multiple products, including some bottles not labeled as containing BPA.

The health risk assessment showed that for newborns and young infants, the daily BPA intake from bottles alone could approach or exceed recommended safety limits. Smaller babies face the greatest risk because they consume more formula per pound of body weight.

BPA is a known endocrine disruptor that mimics estrogen. In developing infants, even small doses can interfere with brain development, metabolism, and reproductive system formation. Choosing glass or certified BPA-free and BPS-free bottles, and avoiding heating formula in plastic, are the most effective precautions.