News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
March 24, 2021
Academic scientists from ETH Zürich publish textbook teaching fundamental tools, methods, and concepts for designing chemical products and processes; includes life cycle assessment, product and process risk assessment, thermal safety, key regulations, societal dialogue; features workable case study developed with industry partners
Topics: life cycle assessment, risk assessment
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 24, 2021
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes administrative guide on submitting applications for approval of substances to be used in plastic food contact materials (FCMs); describes procedures, timelines for handling applications; will be updated as necessary
Reading time: 1 minute
March 24, 2021
Ruling aims to simplify and harmonize labels placed on packaging within the country; plans to abolish “Green Dot” label and revise “Triman” label to provide specific sorting information to consumers; label guidelines to be released in second half of 2021, potentially come into force January 1, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
March 24, 2021
Last Week Tonight episode focuses on plastic recycling, reports only nine percent of all plastics recycled, functioning systems only established for polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene; discusses Basel Convention restricting plastic waste trade, criticizes misleading closed-loop recycling claims; recommends targeted bans, introducing extended producer responsibility schemes
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 23, 2021
European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) publishes report reviewing derived no-effect levels (DNELs); finds European Chemicals Agency’s default assessment factors (AFs) “in some cases overly conservative”; recommends reviewing and using alternative AFs
Topics: ECHA, risk assessment
Reading time: 1 minute
March 23, 2021
United Nation Statistical Commission formally adopts framework aimed to account for the presence and quality of ecosystem assets within different countries; defines five ecosystem accounts, aims to expand global policymaking focus beyond just considering metrics such as gross domestic product (GDP) to ‘make nature count’
Reading time: 0 minutes
March 22, 2021
Latest published report focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on happiness across countries and regions, describes and evaluates how governments have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic; applies Wellby (Well-Being-Adjusted Life-Years) approach to account for length and quality of life, measures progress
Reading time: 0 minutes
March 22, 2021
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes administrative guide on how to submit applications for new active, intelligent materials and articles intended for food contact; describes procedures, timelines for handling applications; will be updated as necessary
Reading time: 1 minute
March 19, 2021
Group of 67 scientists send letter to new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, requesting class-based ban on all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) except for essential uses; argue this would provide efficient process to greatly reduce exposure, further recommend EPA to require toxicity testing of widely present PFAS
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 19, 2021
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes administrative guide on how to submit applications for new plastic recycling processes for products intended for food contact; describes procedures, timelines for handling applications; will be updated as necessary
Reading time: 1 minute
