US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 13 new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS)
Progress in high-throughput in vitro testing
In vitro assays and alternative approaches being developed for EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program and within EU-ToxRisk are hitting ground
Guidance on Key Considerations for the Identification and Selection of Safer Chemical Alternatives
Pandemic providing opportunity for packaging innovation, resilience
Episode of The Indisposable Podcast discusses coronavirus pandemic and how reusable packaging could expand and innovate to help businesses protect public health, save money, and increase resilience; argue that a shift backward to single-use packaging not needed
ZWE report identifies climate benefits of reusable packaging
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) publishes study comparing 32 life cycle assessments (LCAs) to evaluate single-use and reusable packaging; finds reusable glass bottles have 85% fewer carbon emissions than single-use with highest impacts from transport; breakeven point reached after two to three reuse cycles; suggests five key measures to increase sustainability of reusable packaging
Metals in ceramics and crystalware
EU reference laboratory for FCMs tests metal release from decorated ceramics and crystalware into wine and wine-simulants; migration of lead, cadmium and other metals detected
New method for identifying nonylphenol in FCM
Nestlé researchers publish new study showing analytical method permitting identification of the NIAS nonylphenol
California legislature rejects solid waste bill
Assembly fails to pass bill AB-1080; would have required 75% reduction of waste generated from single-use packaging, all packaging to be recyclable or compostable; passes separate bill requiring 50% recycled content in plastic bottles by 2030
Health effects: How to identify causation?
Royal Society of Medicine hosts anniversary workshop on milestone work for environmental epidemiology by researcher Bradford Hill; commemorates his 1965 lecture ‘Environment and disease: Association or causation?’
Migration of metals from ceramic and glass FCMs
EU reference laboratory for FCMs publishes report on interlaboratory comparison exercise to determine metal migration from decorated ceramic and glass tableware