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
Behavioral studies shed light on how to increase reuse, recycling, and sustainable packaging use
Two scientific studies explore recycling and reuse behavior and options for improvement; report that high level of perceived policy effectiveness can favor residents’ recycling behavior; combine environmental impacts assessment with behavioral science to determine best packaging reuse option and system; third study evaluates consumers’ response to sustainable packaging when benefit trade-offs are involved
Study identifies chemicals driving semen quality deterioration
Scientists perform mixture risk assessment on 29 chemicals capable of affecting semen quality; show exposure to chemicals that lead to declined semen quality highly exceed tolerable daily intake in Europe; identify bisphenols, polychlorinated dioxins, paracetamol, and phthalates as risk drivers
New US certification focuses on chemicals
Center for Environmental Health and Clean Production Action launch a certified standard for single-use food service ware; three-tiered certification based on the use of safer chemicals; certified products must be recyclable or compostable and cannot contain any chemical from the certification’s restricted list including PFAS, ortho-phthalates, and bisphenols above 1ppm
EFSA working group updates from March to July 2021
Minutes from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel and working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, and phthalates
Two articles review oligomers and other chemicals migrating from bio-based products
Research study compares different techniques for oligomer detection and finds polyester oligomers migrate from biopolymers; book chapter discusses catalysts, volatile organic compounds, and additives in bio-based products, including their migration and safety
Science-based proposals for reducing packaging and increasing recycling rates
Researchers investigate packaging use and recycling as well as improvement options; find globalization and time-deprived society to majorly drive food packaging use and recommend economic degrowth to reduce use; report 11% of Spain’s plastic waste efficiently recycled, well below official reports from waste management companies; emphasize need to change material and packaging design to reach circularity targets
Report discusses sustainability and circularity claims on PET drinking bottles
Says true circularity for PET bottles in Europe is unobtainable; limited by current mechanical recycling processes and infrastructure; argues that claims of recyclability and recycled content are misleading; calls for more standardized communication practices
GUTS model adapted to chemical mixtures
Study in Environmental Science Technology on adapted General Unified Threshold model for Survival (GUTS) for environmental risk assessment of chemical mixtures; includes time dimension, approach can be extended to multiple compounds, evaluate synergistic or additive interaction
PFAS alternatives for paper food packaging
Article in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety discusses alternatives for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in paper food packaging; considers lamination with waxes and polymer films, alternative surface sizing and coatings; views finding cost-effective, fully biodegradable, and environmentally friendly alternatives challenging