Restaurant Receipts May Contain Unsafe Levels of BPS

The next time you’re at a restaurant or checkout counter, you may want to think twice before asking for a printed receipt. Not only is skipping the receipt better for the environment, but data released by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) earlier this year reveals it might be better for your health too. 

According to investigations conducted by the CEH, even briefly touch a receipt could expose you to levels of bisphenol S (BPS) that exceed the recommended safe limit for this chemical compound. 

Based on external studies and testing from an independent lab, the center found that touching a thermal receipt for just 10 seconds may expose consumers to BPS levels that are higher than California’s Proposition 65 safe harbor limits, which aim to reduce vulnerability to chemicals that can cause cancer or birth defects. 

Mihir Vohra, science lead at the CEH, explains in a public statement that, “the concentrations were so high that touching only one receipt with BPS for 10 seconds resulted in exposure above the safe harbor level, which requires a clear and reasonable warning to consumers.”

The CEH has previously reached legal agreements with companies requiring that they remove bisphenol A (BPA) from their receipts, which the center describes as a “chemical cousin” to BPS. BPA poses similar health risks, and it appears that brands may have swapped one chemical for the other in order to comply.

Following the findings, the CEH has taken legal action against 90 retailers and restaurants — including Subway, Olive Garden, Walmart, Burger King, McDonald’s, Kroger, and Dunkin  — asking them “to improve their product specifications so that the receipt paper they purchase is safe for their workers and customers” while cautioning that patrons of these establishments should decline printed receipts, and workers should wear gloves when handling them.

While these might seem like stringent demands for something as simple as a receipt, it is important to know about the risks that may be associated with BPS and what research still needs to be done.

What are BPA and BPS?

These two compounds are synthetic chemicals often used to manufacture a variety of consumer products such as thermal papers and sales receipts, explains Chris DeArmitt, PhD, a polymer scientist and founder of the Plastics Research Council.

BPA is a synthetic industrial chemical that’s used to make hard, polycarbonate plastics — like water bottles — and used in the linings of some food and beverage containers, paper receipts, and dental sealants, according to Carl Baum, MD, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, who specializes in toxicology and environmental health.

Baum details that “it’s one of a broad class of organic chemical compounds that can mimic the hormone estrogen and is therefore known as an endocrine disruptor because of its ability to disrupt the normal functioning of the human body.” 

BPS, on the other hand, is a chemical compound similar to BPA that’s often used as a replacement in BPA-free products, including receipts, per Don Thushara Galbadage, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at Texas Christian University. BPS was initially marketed as a safer alternative to BPA, but research shows BPS can also disrupt hormones and may even be more persistent in the environment and human tissue.

Are BPA and BPS dangerous?

BPA and BPS are both known to mimic estrogen, a key hormone in humans. The two chemicals are considered endocrine disruptions because they can interfere with the endocrine system and its regulation of hormones.

Low-dose, everyday exposure to BPA and BPS can have cumulative effects over time, and chronic exposure, especially in vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children, has been associated with health conditions such as hormonal imbalances, reproductive health issues, increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, metabolic disruptions such as weight gain and insulin resistance, and neurodevelopmental concerns in children.

That being said, exposure to BPA and BPS does not cause immediate illness. Galbadage suggests that “we can think of BPA and BPS exposure like secondhand smoke. Each exposure might seem small, but over time, it raises the chance of health problems.” 

In other words, when it comes to receipts, the worry isn’t a one-time touch. The bigger concern is repeated contact, especially for cashiers, servers, and retail workers who handle receipts for hours on a daily basis.

Should you avoid touching receipts?

Considering the CEH’s findings, Galbadage recommends limiting your contact with receipts. “You do not need to fear every transaction, but it’s smart to treat receipts like single-use plastics and avoid them when unnecessary,” he emphasizes. This is especially important for pregnant people and children, as they may be more vulnerable to hormone-disrupting chemicals like BPA and BPS.

Because short-term exposure to BPA and BPS is not going to cause immediate harm or illness, Galbadage notes that there is no need to panic. Instead, it’s best to focus on minimizing long-term exposure. 

The definition of long-term exposure is where guidelines become less clear-cut. Per Galbadage, “BPS is not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and while BPA is monitored, neither the FDA nor the EPA has nationally enforceable exposure limits.”

California’s Proposition 65 does, however, establish safe harbor levels (recommendations for safe levels of exposure) for BPS skin exposure, with the limit at 0.046 micrograms per day. Data from the CEH study found that just a 10-second touch of receipts at the establishments it tested could exceed this threshold, indicating that minimizing BPS contact calls for avoiding these small pieces of paper. 

Galbadage points out that federal agencies like the FDA and EPA have historically maintained higher acceptable safe harbor limits than California, but scientific consensus is shifting toward stricter thresholds, especially for endocrine disruptors like BPA with no known safe dose.

How to reduce exposure to BPA and BPS

More research is still needed to determine if BPA and BPS on receipts pose a major health concern, but to reduce your exposure, Galbadage, DeArmitt, and Baum recommend the following tips:

• Decline paper receipts when possible and ask for digital copies via email or app.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after handling receipts.
• Avoid using hand sanitizer immediately before or after handling receipts, as many sanitizers increase skin absorption of BPA and BPS.
• Do not store receipts in food bags or purses where they may contaminate other items.
• If you must keep a receipt, store it in an envelope or designated pouch.
• If you have a job that requires you to frequently handle receipts, consider wearing gloves.