News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
November 6, 2020
Ellen MacArthur Foundation summarizes progress made by business and government signatories since 2019; identifies focus towards increase of recycled content, phasing out problematic items; sees little development in increasing plastic packaging recyclability, reducing single-use packaging
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 5, 2020
Peer-reviewed study estimates total amounts of mis-managed plastic waste, includes domestic illegal dumping and waste exports to foreign recyclers; finds US produces greatest amount of plastic waste per capita, potentially third largest source worldwide of ocean plastics; recommends reduction of plastic production, product re-designs
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 5, 2020
Finds on average 1.5 kg packaged food consumed per person per day, plastic packaging makes up largest fraction by material type (69%); provides detailed tables of packaging material type across food groups and sociodemographic characteristics
Topics: market
Reading time: 1 minute
November 4, 2020
EU body publishes conclusions on Farm to Fork Strategy; calls for developing harmonized rules for additional food contact material (FCM) types and an EU-wide requirement for declarations of compliance for all materials
Topics: European Council, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
November 4, 2020
Minutes from recent meetings of the EFSA CEP panel and working groups on BPA, FCMs, and phthalates published; groups continue discussions and revisions of draft opinions
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 4, 2020
Regulatory consultancy Smithers publishes recorded excerpt of presentation on recent and planned revisions to EU food contact material regulations
Topics: regulation
Reading time: 0 minutes
November 3, 2020
European Commission signals that it is preparing a wider set of actions to initiate impact assessment on non-intentional microplastics emissions; would include sources such as car tires, textiles, plastic pellets; stakeholders call for more research to address current data gaps in microplastic toxicity
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
November 3, 2020
Spirits manufacturer set to replace material used across its brands globally, first new bottles to reach markets in 2023; polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) based plastic reported to biodegrade across environmental compartments within 18 months
Topics: bioplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
November 3, 2020
California court of appeal publishes final opinion; defends mechanism used by state government agency to identify bisphenol A (BPA) as reproductive toxicant under Proposition 65 legislation
Topics: bisphenol A
Reading time: 1 minute
November 2, 2020
Researchers publish peer-reviewed study identifying over 200 use categories and subcategories for more than 1,400 individual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); finds the substances are used in almost all industry sectors and many consumer products; calls for public release of usage data
Topics: PFAS
Reading time: 2 minutes
