December 13/Paris/Agence France-Presse -- The French government has voted to ban the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials. This will impact how foods are packaged and sold in France.

France has approved a ban on the use of bisphenol A in food contact materials, reported Agence France-Presse. The law states there will be a "ban on the manufacture, import, export and commercialization of all forms of food packaging containing bisphenol A."

Now the chemical will no longer be able to be used in any food contact materials, according to Agra-Net. BPA is a chemical that is believed to have negative effects on the brain and nervous system, and France had already banned its use in baby bottles in 2010, as have many other nations.

This new law in France takes effect in 2013, and at that time, BPA will no longer be able to be used in packaging for foods for children up to the age of three. The rest of the ban will be rolled out for all other food contact packaging by January 1, 2015, reported AFP.