News Article

Global Food Contact opening keynote highlights EC FCM updates

2021 Smithers Pira conference covers global developments in food contact regulations and materials; opening keynote by Jonathan Briggs details latest developments on the European Commission’s (EC) update on food contact material (FCM) legislation; release of the EC’s final impact assessment pushed back to 2023, but staff working document on FCMs planned for the end of 2021

News Article

EPA: Priority substances for TSCA evaluation

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prioritizes 20 substances to undergo risk evaluation according to Toxic Substances Control Act; list includes several solvents, phthalates, flame retardants, chemical intermediates with food contact relevance; public consultation now open

News Article

Review confirms additive approach for chemical mixtures

Systematic review analyzes over 700 mixture studies, confirms additive models are a good approximation, finds research focus primarily on binary mixtures; European Commission (EC) plans mixture assessment factor (MAF) for REACH; development of general mixture risk assessment methods and viable approaches to regulation still needed

News Article

European Commission hosts workshop to contribute to substitution planning

Report from workshop on “strengthening the role of substitution planning” finds consensus and sticking points on road to REACH revision; broad consensus that industry should be responsible for creating the substitution plans but disagreements on how to assess the plan and monitor implementation; study on substitution planning to be published by the end of 2024

News Article

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