Scoping review identifies potential health effects of melamine other than renal damage, including impacts on neurological functions, behavior, reproduction, and growth
EFSA EREN: Identifying emerging risks
Overview article describes outcomes of EFSA’s emerging risks exchange network (EREN) from 2010-2014, strategy for dealing with emerging risks in food safety
China calls for comments on food contact substances
China’s National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment solicits comments on new food contact substances and resins, expanded uses
Compliance of FCMs in Northern Europe
Norden project on compliance of food contact materials publishes results; improved declarations of compliance needed
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’
European Commission president announces new team
President of the European Commission announces new team of vice-presidents and commissioners, reduced focus on chemical regulation and the environment
ECHA finds 1 in 4 imported products non-compliant
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) completes pilot enforcement project focused on restricted substances cadmium, lead, nickel; finds 23% of inspected products not compliant with EU chemicals regulations
Stakeholders pressure EU Commission on chemicals strategy
Corporate European Observatory concerned lobbying from chemical manufacturers will convince authorities to weaken ambition for reforms; EU member states send letter to Commission calling for long-term strategy for toxic-free circular economy; public petition launched calling for Commission to live up to its own commitments
Interlaboratory comparison of migration testing: Temperature control
EU Reference Laboratory for FCMs publishes a report on interlaboratory comparison for controlling the temperature during migration tests by article filling; results satisfactory only for 30% of the participating laboratories; follow-up study is planned
ClientEarth: EU Commission delays decisions on chemicals
New study by ClientEarth finds that decisions by European Commission on use of substances of very high concern are ‘delayed unreasonably’ in most cases