European Food Safety Authority publishes report summarizing activities related to emerging risk identification in 2018; considers food contact additives and related challenges of substituting materials
EFSA opinion on wood flour and fibres
EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) concludes that information supporting the current authorization of wood flour and fibres for use in plastic food contact materials is ‘insufficient’; criteria for future evaluations of plant materials for use as plastics additives address migration and toxicological evaluation of migrants
EFSA authorizes new PET recycling process
EFSA authorized the PET recycling process “Holfeld Diamant” for food contact
EFSA: Consultation on TTC guidance
EFSA opens public consultation for guidance on using Threshold of Toxicological Concern in food safety assessment; public comments to be provided until January 8, 2019
Petition calls for US FDA to consider cumulative effects
Coalition requests US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to follow its own mandate to consider cumulative effects of chemicals present during safety assessments; covers chemicals directly added to food, substances migrating from food packaging, substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS); finds only 1 of 877 existing GRAS notifications adhered to requirement
New EFSA food contact chair
EFSA elects new Chair of the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids
Outline of EDC guidance
EFSA and ECHA publish outline of guidance enabling identification of endocrine disruptors; public consultation on draft guidance scheduled for summer 2017
JRC's policy brief on mixtures
EU Commission’s Joint Research Centre publishes policy brief on approaches to ensure chemical mixtures’ safety; current JRC research on mixtures focuses on interaction effects, links to diseases, use of biomonitoring in exposure assessment
EFSA phthalates working group: 11th meeting
EFSA’s CEP Panel working group on phthalates continues work on draft opinion for phthalates reassessment, addresses comments received during public consultation
EFSA evaluates intelligent packaging: time-temperature indicator
EFSA considers time-temperature indicator system safe for use in food contact material, genotoxic potential of ingredient not ruled out