News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
May 7, 2020
Peer-reviewed article in the journal Environmental Science and Technology reviews 71 published life cycle assessment (LCA) studies comparing packaging; investigates correlation of attributes such as recyclability and being biobased on total environmental impacts, recommends against focusing on individual attributes
Topics: life cycle assessment
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 7, 2020
Department of Health publishes assessment report for tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), concludes that it is suspected of causing causer; substance largely used as a flame retardant in circuit boards, included in database of food contact chemicals
Topics: flame retardants, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
May 6, 2020
Government announces minimum 15 cent deposit that will apply to plastic beverage bottles less than 3 liters; new deposit regulations come into force on July 1, 2021; EU single-use plastic regulations become effective on January 1, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
May 6, 2020
European Committee of the Regions (CoR) publishes resolution on European Green Deal; advocates against setting safe threshold levels for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), calls for a ban on bisphenols and phthalates in all food contact materials (FCMs)
Reading time: 1 minute
May 5, 2020
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare publishes revised version of positive list for food contact materials (FCMs); includes additional base polymer resins, monomers, additives; to be enforced from June 1, 2020 with five-year transition period for existing products
Reading time: 1 minute
May 5, 2020
Two peer-reviewed studies from researchers in the Netherlands and Sweden explore the environmental impacts of and trends related to reusable packaging, the role of food packaging in preventing food waste
Topics: food waste, reuse
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 4, 2020
Researchers from Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) publish two peer-reviewed articles critically reviewing determination and application of maximum doses in toxicity studies; find that recent toxicity studies increasingly using unjustified low maximum doses, call for more clarity in testing guidelines
Topics: toxicity testing
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 4, 2020
European Commission publishes draft regulation adding substances recently classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMR), includes four food contact chemicals; draft open for public consultation until May 25, 2020
Topics: REACH, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
May 1, 2020
Inspectors from Nordic countries examine 361 products ordered online for compliance with various EU chemicals legislation; find 53% non-compliant, higher rate of non-compliance for products sold by companies outside of EU; lead, short chain chlorinated paraffins, diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) detected most often
Topics: compliance, REACH
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 1, 2020
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) files for judgment in its favor in ongoing court case with group of non-governmental organizations, argues perchlorate will not enter food supply at dangerous levels through dry food packaging
Topics: FDA, perchlorate
Reading time: 2 minutes
