Selected Questions and Answers on PET Bottles
FAQ to the BfR of 16 July 2020
PET is the abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic used among other things for the manufacture of drink bottles and other packagings. It usually states on drink bottles which plastic they are made of. PET bottles are normally marked with “PET” or the triangular arrow symbol with the number 1.
Consumers continually ask the BfR whether plastic bottles made of PET pose a health hazard. They are particularly concerned that hormone-like substances which transfer from the plastic to the drink could be contained in PET bottles.
The BfR answers frequently asked questions about PET bottles in the following paragraphs.