European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety responds to CHEM Trust regarding concerns with current EU food contact material legislation, recognizes stakeholder concerns, promises to move ahead with prioritization of harmful substances including endocrine disruptors
Opinion: Scientists call European Commission’s proposed EDC regulation over-precautionary
Group of scientists calls for maintaining chemical regulation’s status quo; toxicologist and pharmacologist express concern that the forthcoming EDC regulation will not be based on science and erase established risk assessment approaches
Consumers perceive compostable packaging as most sustainable, report says
McKinsey report investigates consumers’ attitudes toward sustainability in food packaging; finds hygiene & food safety, as well as shelf life are most important aspects to consumers; consumers think compostable and plant-based packaging is the most sustainable, metal containers among least sustainable
ToxCast assays need improving
New study shows the ability of ToxCast assays to predict obesogens is unreliable; senior researcher comments on features in need of improvement
Phthalates and their replacements measured in US fast food
Researchers measure phthalates or phthalate-replacing plasticizers in 100% of fast food samples from McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Taco Bell, and Chipotle restaurants in the US; seen as first published data of plasticizer DEHT detected in fast food
Study suggests economic interests influence SVHC listing
Researchers analyze drivers influencing the regulation of substances of very high concern (SVHCs); find fact that substances neither produced nor imported in the European Economic Area to be most important factor for listing a substance as SVHC
Last Week Tonight features PFAS
In a 20-minute headline story, host John Oliver discusses the history and health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); includes non-stick cookware and fast-food packaging as sources of contamination
EU Member States adopt revised EDC criteria for pesticides
Member States vote in favor of EU Commission’s new proposal for criteria to identify endocrine disrupting pesticides; exemption for substances with intentional endocrine activity removed; NGOs criticize remaining high burden of proof
P&P conference 2018
Smithers Pira’s annual conference on “Plastics & paper in contact with foodstuffs” covers regulatory updates, summarizes industry initiatives, discusses future developments
More retailers commit to safer chemicals
Non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families publishes second annual ranking of retailers’ safer chemicals programs; 10 out of 30 retailers take adequate action on toxic chemicals