Several articles published since the beginning of 2023 have analyzed plastic particles in packaged foods and beverages, including salt, sugar, canned fish, bottled water, soft drinks, and cold tea; draw a connection to packaging and food processing; migration studies demonstrate particle release from plastic food containers and breastmilk storage bags; review develops 10 criteria for data quality assessment and find most studies “unreliable” on one or more criteria
Webinar on drivers for change in FCMs
Chemical Watch webinar to discuss challenges, trends, and opportunities in food contact materials (FCMs); include presentations from Nestlé and HAVI
Nestlé and Havi: Drivers for change in FCMs and packaging
Science-based proposals for reducing packaging and increasing recycling rates
Researchers investigate packaging use and recycling as well as improvement options; find globalization and time-deprived society to majorly drive food packaging use and recommend economic degrowth to reduce use; report 11% of Spain’s plastic waste efficiently recycled, well below official reports from waste management companies; emphasize need to change material and packaging design to reach circularity targets
French order on food contact rubber
France publishes new Order on food contact rubber and pacifiers for infants and toddlers; updates lists of authorized substances, their specifications, restrictions; law enters into force on July 1, 2021
Studies investigate circular economy barriers, consumer perceptions
Recent set of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals review current barriers in flexible plastics to achieving circular economy, recommends regulatory policies be tailored to individual steps in supply chain; consumers easily confused by plastic waste management system, recycling processes, biodegradability claims; researchers instead propose food system shift towards decentralization, shorter supply chains
Measuring plastic particles released from food packaging and in human lungs
Scientists investigate plastic particles released from store-bought food packaging as well as human and mice health impacts of exposure; report single-use plastic products release >1012 nano-sized particles during use; find microplastics to suppress lysosomal activity in mouse macrophages; first detection of microplastics within human lung tissue samples; in vitro neurotoxicity study finds microplastics negatively impact human forebrain organoid development
EDC criteria: Latest revision and next meeting
EU Commission publishes latest version of revised criteria to identify endocrine disruptors; NGOs and industry still dissatisfied with proposed criteria; next expert meeting, and possible vote, to be held February 28, 2017
Suggestion for EU FCM regulatory change
Koni Grob of the Official Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zurich publishes two articles proposing a new approach to FCM regulation in the EU; key elements are improved compliance work by industry thanks to better enforcement and dedicated database of approved substances and materials
Swiss Symposium on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
The Food Packaging Forum is co-organizing a symposium on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) with the leading research university ETH Zürich