Committee agrees to support Norway’s restriction proposal on manufacture and placing on the market of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and related substances; cannot reach consensus to identify resorcinol as substance of very high concern (SVHC), agree that it is endocrine disrupting under World Health Organization (WHO) definition
EDCs: Sweden wins court case against European Commission
General Court of the European Union concludes that the European Commission has breached EU law by failing to define criteria for identification of endocrine disrupting chemicals
BPI guidelines for compostable FCMs
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) publishes set of guidelines for labeling and identifying compostable food contact materials (FCMs); aims to reduce contamination of composting waste streams; focuses on improved labelling and communication of compostable products
3RI publishes guidelines for corporate plastic stewardship
Reduce, Recover, Recycle (3R) Initiative and partners’ Guidelines for Corporate Plastic Stewardship aims to guide companies’ transition toward circular plastics supply chain; outlines pathways to three commitments of increasing ambition: net zero plastic leakage, 100% recycled at end-of-life, and net circular plastic; includes example case study
US FDA adds 18 substances to food contact inventory
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 18 new entries to Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications since January 2020
China requests comments on new FCMs, chemicals
National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment calls for public comment on new food contact materials (FCMs) and chemicals as well as expanded uses; feedback accepted until March 11, 2020
China solicits comments on FCMs, new resins
Agency announces expanded uses for three food contact materials and articles, three new resins, and one new food contact substance; public comments accepted until December 25, 2019
Scientists find most silicon rubber kitchenwares are endocrine disrupting
Study determines toxicity and composition of 42 silicon rubber food contact articles; finds 84% of silicon kitchenware to induce endocrine activity; review gives update on the known endocrine disruptors phthalates and bisphenols with focus on detection methods and addressing regulatory concerns; study develops and applies method for phthalate determination in vegetable oils
NIAS in polypropylene films
Scientists study migration from food packaging films made of polypropylene; 74 compounds identified, 76% of them NIAS; 35% of samples show migration exceeding either SML or Cramer class-based recommendations
Implementation of EU circular economy plan
EU Commission evaluates implementation of its circular economy plan; all 54 actions outlined in 2015 ‘have now been delivered or are being implemented’