News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
August 22, 2025
First global estimate of premature cardiovascular mortality due to phthalates; finds di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) exposure contributed globally to 356,238 deaths in 2018 among people aged 55-64; cardiovascular mortality burden higher in the Asia-Pacific region
Topics: human health, phthalates
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 21, 2025
Extended plastic treaty talks in Geneva, Switzerland conclude without a global agreement; proposed treaty text would not have fulfilled the mandate to end plastic pollution considering the independent scientific evidence; Food Packaging Forum delegation on the ground supported the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty; negotiations to reconvene at a later stage, date and place to be announced
Topics: global plastics treaty, plastics
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 19, 2025
NSF, international product certification and standards organization, announces new certification for mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbon (MOAH) free food processing equipment; includes final product testing; NSF launched similar PFAS-free certification in March 2025
Reading time: 1 minute
August 18, 2025
New EU initiative aims to create a single market for waste and secondary raw materials; claims existing regulations such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation ‘cannot unfold their full potential’ without it; public consultation until November 6, 2025
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 15, 2025
European Parliament Research Service assesses implementation of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, finds mixed progress; praises revision of Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation and provisional one substance-one assessment agreement; concerns raised about delayed REACH revision
Reading time: 1 minute
August 12, 2025
Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) updates specifications to add paper cups as items that can be commonly accepted in residential recycling in US and elsewhere; change could expand paper recycling collection and sales; local acceptance still depends on individual programs’ capabilities
Topics: paper and board, recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
August 11, 2025
US Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Agriculture open comment period to develop a federal definition for ultra-processed foods (UPFs); data from 2021–2023 show UPFs make up 62 % of American youth's diet and 53 % of adults’ diet
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 4, 2025
A new report published in The Lancet outlines up-to-date scientific evidence on health impacts from plastic pollution; identifies plastic pollution as a serious threat to human health; launches independent monitoring system on plastic life-cycle indicators; launches ahead of UN plastics treaty negotiations
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 4, 2025
Scientists report association between micro-and nanoplastic concentrations and fertilization rates as well as pregnancy-induced hypertension in humans; find plastic particles to disrupt mice ovarian function, potentially be carcinogenic and neurotoxic; suggest that plastic chemicals may drive toxicity
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 5 minutes
July 30, 2025
Scientists outline why using a hazard-based approach would be an efficient, simple, and fit-for-purpose method for identifying plastic chemicals of concern under the forthcoming Global Plastics Treaty; highlight that a risk-based approach would result in costly delays, complications, and uncertainties in identifying chemicals of concern, due to the large number of chemicals, the variable composition of plastics between applications, and the lack of transparency and analytical standards
Reading time: 4 minutes
