European Commission (EC) opens consultation period on the use of styrene as a food contact material; considering developing migration limit for styrene into food; stakeholder survey open until April 11, 2022
Science and practice of mixture assessment
Scientific means to assess chemical mixtures are available, but regulatory application lags behind due to practical challenges and lack of legal mandates
Styrene may be a human carcinogen
US National Research Council concludes review of styrene; substance reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen
Non-toxic chemicals are good for business
ChemSec discusses how hazardous substances can lead to costly business scandals and that substitution is necessary for a successful circular economy
Migration from bamboo-containing plastic FCMs
Scientists detect dozens of volatile and non-volatile substances migrating from ‘bamboo’ food packaging; melamine migration exceeding specific migration limit; conclude bamboo-melamine articles ‘a risk to consumer’s health,’ their promotion as biodegradable ‘a fraud to consumers’
Paper straws not safer than plastic straws, scientists find
Study analyzes non-volatile compounds migrating from nine different printed and non-printed paper straws into soda; identifies 19 chemicals in concentrations up to 3.6 mg/kg soda; chemicals include suspected carcinogen and endocrine disruptors; findings suggest paper straws are not a safer alternative to plastic straws
EFSA to extend adoption of BPA scientific opinion once more
EFSA introduces two-stage public consultation delaying the adoption of the scientific opinion on BPA until 2014; exposure and hazard assessments to be split in two
Phthalates’ impact on human health
Scientists compile comprehensive review on phthalates, focus on human health effects observed in epidemiological and clinical studies
EC solicits feedback on ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy roadmap
European Commission (EC) opens feedback period on the roadmap for strategy that aims to transition to a sustainable food system; comments accepted until March 16, 2020
ECHA identifies 34 bisphenols for group restriction
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recommends 34 bisphenols be classified as substances of very high concern (SVHCs) as a group; three of the bisphenols already individually classified as SVHCs; for some bisphenols, more data necessary before classification; group classification can help avoid regrettable substitution