European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) extends information submission deadline on two amines approved as additives in plastic food contact materials (FCMs); information on FCM No. 19 and 20 due by December 31, 2020
Extended timeline: EFSA to publish BPA report in November
EFSA publicly consult on the scientific opinion on BPA in July, before publishing the final version in November
ILSI North America 2020 Annual Meeting
Register to be an observer at EFSA’s CEF Panel meeting
65th plenary meeting of EFSA’s CEF Panel open for observers on November 30, 2016 in Brussels; registration ends November 8, 2016
Mineral oils in Christmas chocolates
Bavarian food control authority finds MOSH and MOAH in advent calendar chocolate; Foodwatch recommends avoiding consumption of tainted products and calls for stricter regulation of mineral oils in food
Non-allergic asthma not well understood
Wall Street Journal reports on new study linking phthalate exposure to asthma; researchers slowly unveil the mechanisms of non-allergic asthma
Microplastic impacts on child health: knowns and unknowns
Scientific commentary discusses pregnancy- and child-relevant exposure to and impacts of nano- and microplastics: finds 37 studies mostly on plastic particles in food and placental transfer, identifies major knowledge gaps, and advocates policymakers and industry to implement precautionary approaches; Nature Reviews Materials article proposes microplastic risk assessment framework
Conference: Sustainability in packaging
Smithers Pira held “Sustainability in Packaging Europe” event on October 24-26, 2017 in Barcelona; speakers addressed plastic and packaging waste, packaging design, food waste, packaging machinery, and food brands’ activities
EPA announces 10 chemicals under evaluation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes first list of chemicals to be assessed under the modernized Toxic Substances Control Act; 8 of 10 chemicals have history of use in food contact materials
Novel bioassays to improve FCM safety testing
Food Packaging Forum webinar features presentation from Alan Bergmann of the Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology on recent research developing novel bioassays to improve testing of food contact materials (FCMs); method improves sensitivity of detecting estrogenicity within complex mixtures of chemicals