7th annual Food Packaging Forum workshop focuses on accelerating science and innovation to improve the safety of food contact articles; video recordings, presentation slides, summary articles now available online
FPF webinar on Chinese FCM regulation: Video online + 2nd event
Food Packaging Forum held webinar on food contact materials regulation in China on April 25, 2017; video recording and presentation slides now available; part 2 webinar scheduled for May 18, 2017
Studies review human exposures and effects of micro- and nanoplastics
Three studies investigate micro- and nanoplastics – source, organ deposition, and reproductive effects; detect up to 240,000 plastic particles/L in bottled water with 90% being nanoplastics; find microplastics in human lung, intestine, and kidney tissues; polyethylene particles found to affect placental function in mice
Microplastic effects on colon cells, blood lymphocytes, and gut-liver axis
Two in vitro studies analyze plastic particle effects using human cells; find polystyrene (PS) particles change metabolism of human colon cells similar to a carcinogen; PS nanoplastics may have cytotoxic and genotoxic potential on human blood lymphocytes; mouse study indicates microplastics increase risk of insulin resistance; researchers calculate particle ingestion from takeaway containers
2023 FPF Workshop: Goals and policy processes for safe and sustainable FCMs
On the morning of the Food Packaging Forum’s 11th annual workshop, speakers share processes to measure sustainable food packaging while accounting for multiple concerns; three speakers share findings from developing frameworks to make packaging safer, account for tradeoffs, and reduce plastic packaging use; three speakers share how policy is developed at the United Nations and European Union
Studies investigate extractable and leachable FCCs, present collision cross section database
Scientists develop collisions cross section (CCS) database for leachable and extractable food contact chemicals (FCCs) to help in chemical identification during targeted and untargeted analysis; database covers 1038 CCS values; study tentatively identifies >100 migrants from 24 plastic food packaging articles including 11 that are of potential concern or are priority hazardous substances
Projects launched to support GHS implementation in Africa
Kenya, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Rwanda implementing Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in national policy; Sierra Leone and Malawi partner with the UN Environment Program (UNEP) to study chemical and waste management within the countries to design long term policies and projects
European Commission: Current food contact materials regulation “sub-optimal”
European Commission (EC) publishes working document on review of whether the EU Food Contact Material Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 is fit for purpose; finds regulation is “partly effective” but “overall, the efficiency… appears to be sub-optimal”; presents concerns including lack of specifics for materials other than plastics, non-intentionally added substances, supply chain transparency, oversight, and structure of risk assessments
Microplastics detected in human testis and semen
Scientists assess microplastics in 30 human semen and 6 testis samples; first to demonstrate presence in human male reproductive system; review finds 9 out of 11 studies demonstrate that plastic particles can translocated across placental barrier
Uptake of microplastics on the rise – especially in Southeast Asia
Recent studies explore uptake pathways of microplastics; uptake has increased in recent years; rapidly industrializing Southeast Asian countries more impacted; food packaging responsible for approx. 2.98 × 103 microplastics/person/year; higher exposure for regular consumers of bottled water, tea brewed from plastic tea bags, or ultrafiltered milk