European Commission (EC) publishes new regulation encompassing recycling processes for all plastics intended to come into contact with food; outlines authorization procedure for recyclers, enforcement for Member States
Genotoxic chemicals in coatings
Scientists compile inventory of compounds potentially used in coatings; 1,976 substances have no (recent) toxicological evaluation; subset analyzed by in silico tools and literature search, 10 compounds designated as ‘high concern’
Coca-Cola to continue using plastic bottles
Company head of sustainability speaks at World Economic Forum; says customers like plastic packaging, instead plans to increase bottle recycling by 2030
Public consultation on bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics
European Commission (EC) opens a public comment period on biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics; consultation will advise EC during development of new policies for these plastics; three areas of particular focus: sustainability of feedstocks, verification of biodegradation claims, and “widespread confusion” among consumers on terms and proper disposal routes; comment period open until March 15, 2022
What’s new in bioplastics?
12th annual European Bioplastics conference discusses food brand owners’ use of bioplastics, biodegradable solutions for multilayer food packaging, and production of new polymer PEF
Mechanical seals risk food contamination
Ensuring compliance of seals used in food production equipment is essential for food production safety
New plastics economy innovation prize
Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize, calls for innovators to redesign packaging to prevent plastic ocean pollution and loss of economic value
Food Contact training: ‘An Introduction to Food Contact Regulations’
Chemicals harm brain development
New report by the non-profit organization CHEM Trust summarizes the effects of environmental chemicals on child brain development; calls for phasing out harmful chemicals as groups, not removing them one by one
Review on food contamination
Scientific article summarizes sources of chemical contamination during food production, transport, storage, and processing