NGOs send letter to EU Commissioners concerning the recent announcement by EFSA for another scientific opinion on endocrine disrupting chemicals. EFSA plans to publish the opinion in March 2013.
EFSA evaluates 2 FCM substances
EFSA considers PET additive and co-monomer for polyesters safe for food contact
Low-dose BPA exposure has adverse effects on mammary cells
U.S. scientists show that low-dose BPA upregulates expression of c-Myc gene associated with variety of human cancers
US congressional committee questions FDA about lack of action on phthalates
Letter from the US House Oversight and Reform Committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asks what steps FDA is taking to evaluate human health effects from, or to ban, phthalates in food packaging and processing materials
UBA: third report on compliance of REACH registrations
German Environment Agency (UBA) examines REACH registration dossiers for medium tonnage band chemicals, finds 24% are non-compliant and 31% are too complex to determine compliance, concludes that dossier improvements may be needed
ECHA calls for comments on chlorinated paraffins
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeks information on manufacture, use, exposure, environmental release of chlorinated alkanes to inform restriction proposal; comments accepted until December 15, 2020
ENVI committee adopts resolution on chemicals strategy
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee of European Parliament passes resolution calling for upcoming chemicals strategy to fully apply precautionary and polluter-pays principles; resulting legislation should address and minimize endocrine disrupting and other hazardous chemicals in products including food packaging and recycled materials
UK environment committee calls for bottle deposit system
Environmental Audit Committee of UK parliament demands nation-wide plastic bottle deposit return scheme, more access to free drinking water, increased packaging producer responsibility, and 50% recycled content in plastic bottles
Chemical Hazard Data Commons
U.S. NGO Healthy Building Network launches free online resource Chemical Hazard Data Commons aggregating hazard determinations for over 85 000 substances, aimed to facilitate substitution of hazardous chemicals
EU environment committee supports draft BPA regulation
EU Parliament’s Environment Committee votes in favor of EU Commission’s draft regulation on bisphenol A in food contact materials