News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
September 15, 2025
Study combines in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods to identify food contact chemicals interfering with retinoid-X-receptor (RXR), potentially leading to adverse biological outcomes by endocrine disruption; predicts 104 RXR-interacting chemicals, dominated by 58 butylphenols; three of six tested tert-butylphenols potentiate thyroid hormone signaling at nanomolar levels; identifies structural features that enhance RXR binding
Topics: antioxidants, toxicity testing
Reading time: 4 minutes
September 12, 2025
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority issues draft food contact material (FCM) regulation; includes mandatory requirements for all FCMs, any standards not specified by Bangladesh should follow standards from Codex Alimentarius Commission, the US, or EU; enforcement likely in 2026
Topics: Bangladesh, regulation
Reading time: 2 minutes
September 11, 2025
MAHA Commission plan outlines over 120 initiatives; items related to food contact include GRAS reform, removing harmful chemicals from the food supply, microplastics; agencies to expand research on environmental exposures and cumulative risk
Reading time: 3 minutes
September 4, 2025
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) updates PFAS restriction proposal following public consultation; does not include major exceptions or derogations regarding food contact materials; aims to complete scientific evaluation of proposal by the end of 2026; to be submitted to the European Commission in 2027
Reading time: 2 minutes
September 1, 2025
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) scientists submit comments to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public consultation; urge using a hazard-based approach, considering endocrine disruption as toxicity criterion, and adopting GHS classifications to prioritize chemicals for assessment; call to increase transparency during all evaluation stages
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 27, 2025
Legal challenge to the European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) identification of melamine as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) rejected by General Court of the European Union; Melamine was identified as SVHC in December 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
August 27, 2025
In vitro study compares bisphenol A and 26 alternatives for their hazard potential using a battery of biological assays; suggests many BPA alternatives are regrettable substitutes; identifies potentially safer alternative; calls for regulating bisphenols as a group
Topics: bioassay, bisphenol A
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 26, 2025
Deep Science Ventures publishes report arguing that ‘pervasive toxicity threatens human and planetary health’; authors review scientific research to create comprehensive overview of effects from human and environmental exposure to chemicals; first key research highlight is Food Packaging Forum’s FCChumon study
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 26, 2025
French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety investigates and compares microplastic levels in a set of beverages sold in France; reports highest microplastics per liter in beer and lemonades; paint from glass bottle closures identified as one source
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 3 minutes
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
