News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
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
April 29, 2020
British Plastics Federation publishes guidelines to help companies incorporate recycled content into their plastic packaging; RECOUP issues updated guidelines for designing plastic packaging for recyclability
Reading time: 1 minute
April 29, 2020
European Commission publishes results of public consultation within fitness check of EU legislation on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); finds that majority of respondents believe EU laws do not protect them from exposure to EDCs, that EDCs have been insufficiently identified across sectors
Topics: endocrine disruptor, European Commission
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 29, 2020
Journal article presents summary of presentations and discussions from European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (Ecetoc) workshop; finds new approach methodologies useful for read-across in chemical safety assessments, identifies areas for improvement
Topics: risk assessment
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 29, 2020
American Chemistry Council (ACC) shifts presentations from canceled GlobalChem conference online; series of ten webinars to cover topics such as US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) registration, microplastics, and global chemicals management
Topics: microplastics, TSCA
Reading time: 1 minute
