News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
July 28, 2020
Minutes from recent meetings of the EFSA CEP panel and working groups on BPA, FCMs, and recycling plastics published; scientific opinions on benzophenone‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BDTA), multiple recycling processes published
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 27, 2020
House and Senate chambers both pass legislation, set to ban use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging starting in 2023; legislation sent to state governor for signature into law
Topics: PFAS
Reading time: 1 minute
July 27, 2020
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 5 new entries to Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications since June 2020
Topics: FDA
Reading time: 1 minute
July 24, 2020
Analysis calculates current commitments will only reduce plastic pollution flows into oceans by 7%; implementing all feasible solutions now could cut pollution by up to 78%; authors call for urgent and coordinated action by all stakeholders, redirecting all current and future investments away from virgin plastic infrastructure
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 24, 2020
Investigation by the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, and Health finds G20 countries need to lead the way in global shift towards healthier and more sustainable diets; recommends creating national dietary guidelines, reducing intake of red meat; greenhouse gas emissions from food consumption need to be halved by 2050
Topics: food
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 23, 2020
Scientists develop radiolabeling method to trace per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) uptake and distribution in mice; observe uptake in all organs, transport from mother to fetus across placenta; highest uptake in liver after tail vein administration, in lungs after oral gavage
Reading time: 1 minute
July 23, 2020
New scientific reports summarize implications of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) for human health and implications for economics and policy; call for ‘urgent action to reduce exposure to EDCs’
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 23, 2020
Scientists review chemical analytical approaches for food contaminants originating from packaging, including active packaging and novel biopolymers; call for thorough characterization of substances migrating from active packaging, including impurities, auxiliary compounds, potential biotransformation products
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 23, 2020
Scientists review three main routes for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production, including microbiological, enzymatic, chemical; microbiological and chemical routes most favorable for scaling-up; remaining high costs compared to fossil-based plastics necessitate search for cheaper feedstocks, optimization of production efficiencies
Topics: bioplastics, polyhydroxyalkanoates
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 23, 2020
Scientists measure content and migration of inorganic elements from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA); report higher levels in PHA produced from municipal waste and wastewater sludge fractions compared to PHA produced from fruit wastes; in all cases migration below set migration limits
Reading time: 1 minute
