European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launches database of all notifications from EU companies of products containing Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs); contains over 4 million article notifications from 6000 companies; includes articles such as food processors; Swedish Chemicals Agency launches pilot project to identify potentially hazardous chemicals early in product design process
New study tests endocrine disrupting properties of Tritan™
New plastic Tritan™ shown to contain traces of BPA and benzylbutyl phthalate, no endocrine disrupting effects found for total migrate
India adopts migration limit for antimony and DEHP
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) amends national packaging legislation to add overall migration limits for antimony and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) from plastic food packaging
Plastics in a circular economy: research status, environmental leakage, food safety hazards
Recent studies perform semi-systematic review of published circular economy literature focusing on plastics over past 21 years, develop framework for plastics in circular economy; find Dutch food packaging plastic waste polluting oceans, question effectiveness of recycling; summarize chemical and microbial hazards related to circular food production systems
Facts and figures on BPA
Dutch Institute for Public Health and the Environment summarizes current knowledge on BPA; to inform decision on risk reduction measures
EU Court of Justice rules in favor of ECHA identifying BPA as SVHC
Trade body PlasticsEurope loses fourth legal case concerning regulations of bisphenol A (BPA); European Court of Justice supports ECHA’s classification of BPA as substance of high very high concern (SVHC)
Associations report European packaging recycling rates
Industry associations report recycling rates of packaging materials in Europe; average collection rate of glass bottles and jars hit 80% in 2020; paper packaging recycling over 80%; paper recycling rates close to theoretical maximum; plastic recycling has not increased despite increased demand by beverage companies; two-thirds of plastic-packaging pledges in Europe failed, supporting the change away from single-use likely necessary
Database sheds light on thousands of chemicals in food contact materials
Peer-reviewed study and freely available interactive tool provides systematic overview of food contact chemicals measured in migrates and extracts of food contact materials and articles
ACC: All plastic packaging recycled or recovered by 2040
Plastics industry members of American Chemistry Council commit to ensuring that ‘100% of plastics packaging is re-used, recycled or recovered by 2040’
EU starts evaluation of FCM regulation: 1st stakeholder event
Evaluation of the European FCM regulation started with a stakeholder workshop in Brussels; purpose of the 12-month evaluation process is to identify how FCM regulation performs in practice; participants see urgent need for improvements; all stakeholder input is welcome