For high-temperature applications in contact with food, BASF is offering a portfolio of polyphenlysulfone (PPSU) grades that are not based on Bisphenol S (BPS) and Bisphenol A (BPA). 

This Ultrason P portfolio complies with EU Commission Regulation 2024/3190, which prohibits Bisphenol in food contact materials and articles. 

The EU regulation 2024/3190 entered into force in January 2025. It prohibits the use of hazardous bisphenols and derivatives in food-contact materials and articles, establishing transition periods for placing articles on the market until January 2028, depending on the specific article category. 

The six Ultrason P grades, their data sheets, necessary material certificates, and food contact approvals are available as of now: Manufacturers of e.g., reusable bottles, catering tableware, coffee machine components, or high-heat pans can timely start to re-qualify their food-contact applications currently made of e.g., polyethersulfone (PESU), which will also be impacted by the ban. 

BASF thus supports a smooth transition toward compliant articles while offering a broad PPSU portfolio that enables food-contact parts with excellent processing, great design freedom, and long-term performance.

PPSU is not affected by the restriction and can serve as a robust material solution for customers having to change the material basis of their food-contact applications.

“Bisphenols as defined in the EU regulation 2024/3190 are not used in the manufacture of our Ultrason P”, said Georg Graessel from global business management Ultrason at BASF. “We have adapted and extended this portfolio to give manufacturers sufficient time to test and re-qualify their food-contact products until the ban takes full effect in the EU. Technical data sheets and required certificates can be provided to support qualification processes. Existing injection molding tools for PESU can continue to be used.”

For all manufacturers so far using PESU, polysulfone (PSU) or polyetherimide (PEI) in food-contact applications, BASF supports the change with six tailored Ultrason P grades for diverse requirements: These include grades for easy mold release and enable versatile color possibilities from opaque to translucent for compounds or with masterbatches.

All products offer the high performance to which manufacturers of BASF’s Ultrason P are accustomed: temperature-independent mechanical properties, high resistance to many detergents, oils, fats, and superheated steam, superior toughness, and good dimensional stability.