Australian Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Center surveys consumer perceptions of packaging’s role in encouraging or preventing food waste; United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) breaks down results from 33 life cycle analyses comparing packaging and food waste; makes structured recommendations for when packaging or food waste costs are higher based on food type, consumer and regulatory support, and strength of local waste management systems
Plastic container fluorine treatments create PFAS
Scientists from Environmental Defense Fund and Green Science Policy Institute find fluorine gas treatment used on “millions of polyethylene and polypropylene containers each year” including those for food contact; treatment can produce PFAS that migrate from the material
Scientists evaluate inhaled microplastics
Report microplastics occur in lower airways of European citizens with the majority being fibers; evaluate microplastics indoor and outdoor exposure sources; work out established particle domains and paradigms can help predict toxicity of inhaled microplastic particles
Scientists find phthalates impact development of boys more than girls
Biomonitoring study reports association between maternal phthalate exposure and 24-month-old boy emotional/behavioral problems; short review discusses teratogenic effect and calls for health policies; research article detects phthalates in wide range of US foods, indicates phthalate migration from food processing equipment; review evaluates gas chromatography-based approaches to measure phthalates in aqueous and solid foods
EFSA CEP Panel updates from May to September 2022
Minutes available from recent meetings of the working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, and phthalates within the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel)
LCA study investigates impacts of beverage packaging types
Scientists from University of Southampton publish life cycle assessment (LCA) estimating primarily environmental impacts of five types of packaging across three beverage categories; find lowest impacts caused by recycled aluminum cans for pressurized drinks, Tetra Pak for fruit juices, cartons for milk
US EPA removes PFAS from Safer Choice Program
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removes the last two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the agency’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List; Safer Choice Program products to be PFAS-free by March 2023; issues letter to handlers of fluorinated polyolefin containers raising awareness for presence of unintended PFAS that may violate Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
EFSA CEP Panel updates from July to October 2021
Minutes available from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, phthalates, and extraction solvents
Improving the chemical safety of food contact articles: Linking policy-making with scientific research
The 2020 Food Packaging Forum (FPF) Workshop took place virtually on October 21-23, 2020 under the theme “Improving the chemical safety of food contact articles: Linking policy-making with scientific research.” The event featured a range of high profile speakers from different areas of expertise who provided insights into the latest science and policy-making within the field, as well as discussed how these two sides could better interface with one another. The interactive event brought together over 200 registered participants, offering […]
New report discusses state-of-knowledge about effects from endocrine disruptors
Joint publication from the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and The Endocrine Society establishes state of endocrine (i.e., hormone) disruption research; reviews knowledge of human health effects from EDC exposure in pesticides, plastics, PFAS, and children’s products; calls for chemical regulations based on modern understanding of how hormones act and how EDCs can affect these actions