News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
November 18, 2025
U.S. Plastics Pact, WRAP, and Upstream announce scoping phase of Reuse in Retail Initiative; aims to help brands, retailers, and reuse providers identify feasible applications for reuse in retail; initiative will conclude in 2028 with launch of reuse program in U.S.
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 5, 2025
In 2023, the EU generated a total of 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste; equates to 177.8 kg per person; of which 120.0 kg were recycled; California estimates 8.5 million tonnes of single-use packaging waste in landfills; most waste in EU and California made up of paper and plastic
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 4, 2025
European Parliament adopts final text of ‘one substance, one assessment’ package; three proposals aim to improve and streamline chemical safety assessments across the EU; now needs to be adopted by European Council of Ministers
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 30, 2025
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) literature review confirms Food Packaging Forum findings that microplastics can be released from food contact materials (FCMs) during use; identifies mechanical stress and fiber shedding as key particle release mechanisms; summarizes methodological shortcomings, data gaps, and recommendations
Reading time: 3 minutes
October 29, 2025
India issues a draft regulation proposing the ban of PFAS in the manufacture of food contact materials (FCMs); also, FCMs made with polycarbonate or epoxy resins must be BPA-free; effective December 10, 2025; California requests information on p,p’-bisphenols for possible listing in Proposition 65 as toxic to reproduction; includes most common bisphenols in food packaging production; submissions open until December 1, 2025
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 28, 2025
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) tailors its datasets to support European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) call for evidence for substances in packaging and packaging waste; data definitively shows 458 chemicals in single use food packaging on the European market, 147 of which have known hazards
Reading time: 3 minutes
October 21, 2025
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comments on Switzerland’s draft amendments to the Ordinance on the Prevention and Disposal of Waste, and new Regulation on Packaging; FPF welcomes progress but identifies evidence-based need for clearer prioritization of reuse over recycling, stronger chemical safety, and closer alignment with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
Reading time: 4 minutes
October 17, 2025
Türkiye amends its food contact materials regulation, allowing the use of recycled plastics in food contact materials; operators must implement quality control measures; entered into force on September 15, 2025
Reading time: 1 minute
October 13, 2025
Non-targeted analysis detects 175 chemicals in bio-based and biodegradable food-contact plastics; identifies 100 volatile chemicals; many not included in EU’s regulatory positive list, some identified as toxic
Topics: bioplastics, chemical analysis
Reading time: 3 minutes
October 9, 2025
ToMEX 2.0 continues to allow quick upload, assessment, analysis, and visualization of microplastic toxicity data; updated database roughly doubled in size with modest increase in data diversity; most trends remain constant
Topics: microplastics, toxicity
Reading time: 2 minutes
