BizNGO held annual meeting on December 7-8, 2016 in San Francisco; selection of presentations available online
Detailed online tool on bioplastics
German organic food association publishes decision-making support tool for food producers
FPF can coatings webinar: Video online
Food Packaging Forum held webinar on can coatings on February 7, 2017; video recording now available
JRC publishes case studies on single-use versus reusable packaging
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies covering five single-use versus reusable packaging scenarios; incorporates 16 impacts; paper production practices and consumer behavior play significant role in final, single impact score; reuse tended to perform better in most scenarios, significantly so when comparing reusable glass bottles versus single-use glass
East Asian nations update food packaging guidelines
South Korea updates Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers, and Packages; releases 2021 Food and Drug Safety White Paper; China updates precision level on food packaging migration requirements; Taiwan to monitor the use of nitrogen in food packaging; Hong Kong statutory authority encourages stricter standards for silicone food contact articles
Researchers detect microplastics in human semen and heart
Four recent studies assess microplastics: in human semen, heart, from baby food containers, and suitability of in vitro models to investigate human health effects; find microplastics in six out of ten semen samples, find impacts on semen quality; samples from cardiac surgery patients contain microplastics in heart and surrounding tissue; billions of nano- and microplastics released from plastic baby food containers; outline challenges and recommendation of studying plastic particles in vitro
Focus on BPA analogues
Recent studies investigate effects of bisphenol A analogues such as BPS and BPF, reveal similar endocrine disrupting effects of analogues in cell lines and whole organisms
Opinion: How to create truly safe foods with an innovative business idea
‘Beyond Organic’ TEDx talk on preventing chronic disease, infertility by avoiding chemical exposures in a safe food supply eliminating harmful exposures to environmental chemicals
Survey shows European consumers lack information about food contact articles
European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) surveys EU consumers on experience, knowledge, and attitude on food packaging; consumers feel under informed; 90% of consumers support stricter rules to prevent health effects; recommends overhaul of EU food contact policies