Ellen MacArthur Foundation summarizes progress made by business and government signatories since 2019; identifies focus towards increase of recycled content, phasing out problematic items; sees little development in increasing plastic packaging recyclability, reducing single-use packaging
Petition calls for McDonald’s to phase out PFAS
Drinking water contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the US motivates call for fast-food chain to cease use of the chemicals in its food packaging, reduce market demand
Nano applications in food
EFSA-commissioned study finds nanotechnology most often used for food additives, food contact materials; nanoencapsulates, silver, titanium dioxide, silica common; increasing use of organic nanomaterials
SETAC North America Annual Meeting
2nd Recyclable Mono-Material Packaging Solutions
FCM acutely toxic to fish
Researchers study lethality of aquarium fish held in polyethylene bag; toxic levels of nonylphenol found to migrate into salt water
GRAS petitions: Trade secrets vs. public disclosure
Food Safety News argues that spotlight on GRAS notification process may shift line between trade secrets and public disclosure
Studies investigate plastic packaging use, EDCs, and reproductive health
Recent research articles look at relationship between endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) from packaging and human reproductive health; find no relationship between a woman’s reported use of plastic food packaging and pregnancy duration and birthweight; identify potential non-monotonic dose-response relationship between di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure and woman’s reported infertility
How to manage PFASs in FCMs?
Report by Nordic Council of Ministers summarizes existing knowledge on fluorinated substances in paper and board food contact materials, presents options for reducing consumer exposure
ECHA: Microplastics likely end up in soil and freshwater
ECHA’s risk assessment finds intentionally added microplastics more likely to accumulate in terrestrial and freshwater environments than in oceans