News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
March 30, 2020
Researchers from Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research identify Pseudomonas bacterium able to break down polyurethane monomer and oligomer; bacterium uses plastic as energy source to fuel process; researchers caution that industrial application still a decade away, focus should remain on preventing plastic pollution
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 30, 2020
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) update adds 150 substances from 200 additional scientific assessments; future versions of database to expand coverage of chemical properties to metabolism, bioaccumulation, and exposure data
Topics: EFSA, risk assessment
Reading time: 1 minute
March 27, 2020
European Commission publishes feedback received from targeted stakeholders for fitness check of legislation on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC); survey respondents find current lack of harmonized criteria problematic, current legislation not protecting human health and the environment
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 27, 2020
European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) publishes report examining applicability of standard tools, test methods, and models for polymer risk assessment; describes identified technical limitations, gives recommendations for improving test guidelines
Topics: plastics, risk assessment
Reading time: 1 minute
March 27, 2020
American Chemistry Council (ACC) proposes principles for applying mass balance approach in plastics recycling; includes traceability across supply chain and third-party auditing to verify product claims
Reading time: 1 minute
March 26, 2020
Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) releases first progress report towards 2025 goals; provides data from 27 signatories on recycling potential and use of recycled plastics to serve as baseline; data still lacking on reuse, sorting, and quantity of hazardous substances in plastics
Reading time: 1 minute
March 26, 2020
Published report presents workshop outcomes; participants agree on definition for poorly soluble low toxicity (PSLT) particles, including titanium dioxide (TiO2); authors call for regulators to reassess current guidelines
Topics: PSLT, regulation
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 26, 2020
Episode of The Indisposable Podcast discusses coronavirus pandemic and how reusable packaging could expand and innovate to help businesses protect public health, save money, and increase resilience; argue that a shift backward to single-use packaging not needed
Reading time: 5 minutes
March 25, 2020
Non-governmental organizations call for improved and mandatory sharing of chemical and safety data across packaging supply chain; industry associations request clear regulations, more harmonization of EU rules
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 24, 2020
State Water Resource Control Board for the U.S. state of California publishes draft definition for microplastics in drinking water, criteria include having at least 2 dimensions in 1 – 5,000 µm range; public comments accepted until April 24, 2020
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
