Stefan Merkel presents recent work of German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); Lisa Zimmermann discusses bioassay-based toxicity assessment of conventional plastics, bioplastics, and plant-based materials; Andrew Turner emphasizes presence of toxic brominated flame retardants in recycled plastics, uses of hazardous heavy metals in colored decorations applied to glass articles
UN Environment Assembly on plastic pollution
UN member states review several resolutions on plastic pollution and single-use plastics at fourth UN Environment Assembly; CIEL argues that resulting agreements do not provide the scale and urgency needed
BPA: New window of susceptibility identified
Exposure during pregnancy affected mouse mothers’ glucose metabolism later in life
New EFSA FCM working group: 1st meeting
EFSA’s CEP Panel working group on food contact materials holds 1st meeting; minutes now available online
New FPF report: New approaches to detect NIAS in FCMs
New peer-reviewed publication addresses major challenge for FCM safety assessment: non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
PlasticsEurope comments on official French BPA report
PlasticsEurope is concerned about the conclusions of the French Food Safety Authority report
Workshop and webinar on Polymark project
EU research project Polymark presents new polymer sorting technology in workshop to take place on March 15, 2017 in Brussels
Review investigates challenges of assessing NIAS in plastic FCMs
Literature review summarizes challenges regarding non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in plastic food contact materials (FCMs); describes 52 studies with their applied methodologies for NIAS extraction and identification, plastic types analyzed, and NIAS detected; highlights NIAS assessment as a challenge for scientific community and industry due to lack of hazard data, a missing harmonized methodology, and outdated regulatory guidelines
EFSA BPA assessment protocol: 12th meeting
EFSA’s CEF Panel Working Group on BPA assessment protocol holds twelfth meeting on the reevaluation of BPA safety; meeting minutes available online
EU working group on FCMs: Meeting minutes
EU Commission’s working group on FCMs discusses fluorinated substances in food packaging, supply chain survey, roadmap for evaluating FCM framework regulation, monitoring of mineral oils, Union Measure on printed FCMs