EFSA’s CEP Panel working group on food contact materials holds 3rd meeting; minutes now available online
Process to recycle polystyrene for food contact applications
Mechanical recycling process developed by Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) passes set of tests to ensure removal of impurities; will be submitted to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for review
NGO finds propyl paraben in food
Environmental Working Group detected direct and indirect food additive propyl paraben in nearly 50 US snack foods
Zürich statement on PFASs
Scientists and regulators release ‘Zürich statement on future actions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)’
New FPF report: Consumer attitudes towards nanotechnologies
New study investigates factors determining consumer acceptance of nanotechnology, the Food Packaging Forum reports
Melamine migration above EU limits in some children’s cups
Danish Consumer Council reports melamine migration from five of eight tested children’s cups are above legal limits; migration tests undertaken after cups were washed 20 times and filled with a hot drink to simulate use; melamine classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans in the EU
Low dose BPA effects
Animal study at National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark finds low doses of BPA affect body weight and behavior in female rats, as well as mammary gland growth and sperm count in male rats
BPA health costs at $3 billion annually
New study concludes on thousands of preventable cases of childhood obesity and heart disease caused by BPA; economic savings estimated to outweigh costs of replacing BPA
Discussion on polymer registration under REACH goes into 4th round
EU Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP (CARACAL) subgroup members debate on the identification of polymers requiring registration and their grouping; consider different opinions of stakeholders on group size, acceptable hazard variation within a group and options to deal with the variety of molecular weights one polymer can have; discussions to continue until end of 2021
New FPF Report: Effect of irradiation treatment on migration
New two-dimensional gas chromatography method assesses effects of radiation disinfection treatment for polypropylene on chemical migration