Food Packaging Forum director comments on report outlining food packaging opportunities for the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit; suggests including plastic pollution as a food systems issue for discussion
Study links phthalate exposure and thyroid function in humans
Scientific study investigates effect of plasticizer exposure during pregnancy on thyroid function; outcomes suggest several phthalate metabolites disrupt thyroid hormone levels; finds association of phthalate-alternative DINCH with thyroxine levels
Mercosur updates plastic food packaging regulation
South American trade bloc to no longer allow bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic food contact articles designed for children under 3 years old, lowers migration limit from other plastic FCAs; sets migration limits for 9 metals from plastic FCAs; adds substances to positive list for plastics and for cellulosic materials
Canada paves way for future regulations on plastics
Government lists plastic products in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) as “toxic”; legal step required in order to move forward with new regulation, product restrictions; will support government in implementing national plastic plans
Recommendations for a circular chemical economy
Paper in Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering analyzes sources of chemical losses throughout the chemical life cycle, suggests approaches to improve chemical circularity; losses include fugitive emissions in manufacturing, dissipation in field use, impurities and regulatory incompatibility interfering with recycling; propose two changes to chemical assessments to guide sustainable production and use
Biobased Coatings Europe 2021
Circular Economy Hotspot Catalonia 2021
Reviews discuss health hazards of plastics including PFAS
Medical professionals elaborate on health hazards connected with plastic production, use, and waste; give options to reduce impacts on humans and the planet; scientists summarize current knowledge on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurrence and migration from food packaging and microplastics
EFSA seeks comments on chemical mixtures research and prioritization
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announces public consultation period concerning draft on “scientific criteria for grouping chemicals into assessment groups for human risk assessment” of chemical mixtures; particular focus on chemicals related to food and feed safety; seeking feedback from experts in chemical risk assessment, organizations and people in the field of chemicals mixtures and food safety; comment period ends July 10, 2021
FPF comments on EFSA’s non-monotonic dose response opinion
Scientific Committee’s Scientific Opinion fails to deliver on European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) commitment to scientific excellence and transparency; Food Packaging Forum (FPF) sends open letter to EFSA’s leadership urging them to address severe shortcomings in content and process; adequate scientific appraisal of non-monotonic dose response (NMDR) is critical for chemical risk assessment that protects public health