Estimates that ten percent increase in reusable packaging by 2030 could eliminate over 1 trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups; finds expanding reuse to be more effective than expanding recycling; calls for beverage companies to set reuse targets
China approves new FCMs, additives, resins
National Health Commission announces newly approved additives for food contact materials (FCMs), expanded FCM uses, and resins for use in plastics and coatings
FDA adds 7 substances to food contact inventory
U.S. Food and Drug Administration adds 7 new entries to Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications
EU notifies C9-C14 PFCA restriction to WTO
European Union notifies World Trade Organization of proposed amendment to REACH Restriction List (Annex XVII) to restrict manufacturing, use, placing on the market and import of C9-C14 perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), their salts and related substances within the EU; long-chain PFCAs can be present in food contact materials as impurities but also degradation products of long-chain fluorotelomers
Scientists investigate chemicals in plant-based materials
Review summarizes chemicals present in and migrating from food contact articles made with wood, bamboo, and other plant-based materials; researchers identify and quantify 25 non-volatile compounds from bamboo, palm leaf, wood and wheat pulp dishes; tentatively identify 115 non-volatile chemicals in extracts from six plant fiber/plastic composites; detect phthalates in Brazilian dry foods in cellulose-based packaging
Several studies determine chemical migration from food packaging
Researchers from several European and Chinese institutions develop methods to explore chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs); report styrene migration from different polystyrene FCMs into several food matrices; detect photoinitiators in paper FCMs and chlorinated paraffins in green tea and its packaging; find irradiation treatment of metalized polypropylene to reduce migration of tested chemicals
Commission publishes EDC criteria
European Commission proposes strongly science-based criteria to identify endocrine disruptors, endorses WHO definition, and publishes impact assessment on EDC criteria
Global commitment to tackle plastic pollution
Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiates New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to stop plastic pollution at source; 290+ organizations pledge to eliminate, innovate, circulate plastic packaging
Scientific challenges in the risk assessment of food contact materials
The 2017 annual Food Packaging Forum (FPF) workshop featured high profile speakers and provided an ideal platform for engaging in inspiring discussions with different stakeholders. The FPF workshop is a unique event in the food contact materials (FCMs) world to get up to speed on recent developments in science, business, advocacy, and regulation. As in previous years, the 5th FPF workshop was also an excellent opportunity for networking. As a novelty, the FPF provided access to a live webcast of […]
Companies want protective EDC criteria
IKEA, H&M, COOP Denmark and other leading companies urge European Commission to adopt science-based EDC criteria that protect citizens’ health