On the first day of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss their latest scientific research projects covering food contact chemical migration, human biomonitoring, mixture effects, threshold levels, microplastics, and impacts on reproduction
Stakeholders discuss global plastic treaty
Friends of Europe hosts online debate bringing together stakeholder groups from industry, regulatory agencies, and NGOs; considers how to achieve a circular plastics economy, discusses the necessity of a global plastic treaty, prevention of plastic waste trade and illegal waste dumping, extended producer responsibility schemes (EPRs), need for unified EU plastic waste market; discussions build on report by European Environment Agency, case study by Zero Waste Europe and report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation
EFSA CEP Panel updates from November 2021 to April 2022
Minutes available from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, phthalates, and extraction solvents
EFSA working group updates in November 2020 to March 2021
Minutes from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) CEP panel and working groups on bisphenol A (BPA), food contact materials (FCMs), recycling plastics, and phthalates published; groups continue discussions and revisions of draft opinions; new working group on re-evaluation of phthalates and structurally similar substances in FCMs launched
Studies investigate circular economy barriers, consumer perceptions
Recent set of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals review current barriers in flexible plastics to achieving circular economy, recommends regulatory policies be tailored to individual steps in supply chain; consumers easily confused by plastic waste management system, recycling processes, biodegradability claims; researchers instead propose food system shift towards decentralization, shorter supply chains
2021 FPF Workshop: Understanding supply chains and improving policies
On the second day of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss the investments necessary to understand complex food and packaging supply chains and the benefits of taking the time to do so; assessing plastic circularity through a more honest assessment of the post-consumer life of plastics; the ongoing work of European Commission’s food contact materials policy revision
100 substances in CoRAP for 2019-2021
ECHA publishes list of 96 substances planned to be evaluated by EU Member States in 2019-2021 under the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP)
Several studies determine chemical migration from food packaging
Researchers from several European and Chinese institutions develop methods to explore chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs); report styrene migration from different polystyrene FCMs into several food matrices; detect photoinitiators in paper FCMs and chlorinated paraffins in green tea and its packaging; find irradiation treatment of metalized polypropylene to reduce migration of tested chemicals
New book discusses chemical pollution, reproductive health
Reproductive epidemiologist Shanna Swan publishes book discussing link between declining sperm count and chemical pollution; describes observed changes in sexual development, effect on long-term health; offers advice on how to protect oneself and unborn life from chemical exposure; upcoming webinar scheduled for February 23, 2021
EFSA CEP Panel updates from July to October 2021
Minutes available from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, phthalates, and extraction solvents