News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
August 15, 2025
European Parliament Research Service assesses implementation of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, finds mixed progress; praises revision of Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation and provisional one substance-one assessment agreement; concerns raised about delayed REACH revision
Reading time: 1 minute
August 12, 2025
Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) updates specifications to add paper cups as items that can be commonly accepted in residential recycling in US and elsewhere; change could expand paper recycling collection and sales; local acceptance still depends on individual programs’ capabilities
Topics: paper and board, recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
August 11, 2025
US Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Agriculture open comment period to develop a federal definition for ultra-processed foods (UPFs); data from 2021–2023 show UPFs make up 62 % of American youth's diet and 53 % of adults’ diet
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 4, 2025
A new report published in The Lancet outlines up-to-date scientific evidence on health impacts from plastic pollution; identifies plastic pollution as a serious threat to human health; launches independent monitoring system on plastic life-cycle indicators; launches ahead of UN plastics treaty negotiations
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 4, 2025
Scientists report association between micro-and nanoplastic concentrations and fertilization rates as well as pregnancy-induced hypertension in humans; find plastic particles to disrupt mice ovarian function, potentially be carcinogenic and neurotoxic; suggest that plastic chemicals may drive toxicity
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 5 minutes
July 30, 2025
Scientists outline why using a hazard-based approach would be an efficient, simple, and fit-for-purpose method for identifying plastic chemicals of concern under the forthcoming Global Plastics Treaty; highlight that a risk-based approach would result in costly delays, complications, and uncertainties in identifying chemicals of concern, due to the large number of chemicals, the variable composition of plastics between applications, and the lack of transparency and analytical standards
Reading time: 4 minutes
July 29, 2025
Scientists find association between prevalence of microplastics in placental tissue and reduced placental and cord blood telomere length; strength of the association was polymer type-dependent; warn that microplastics may impact early-life biological aging
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 28, 2025
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) publishes comprehensive resource on bisphenols used in food contact; combines previous background articles on bisphenols A and S, with additional information on other bisphenols; includes latest global regulation on bisphenols, and known health effects
Reading time: 1 minute
July 23, 2025
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) annual report identifies gluten-containing biodegradable materials as one of seven emerging risks; three other issues about food packaging marked as possible concerns but need more information
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 21, 2025
The Food Packaging Forum’s Brand and Retailer Initiatives Database (BRID) now has the feature to filter for actions that have been rescinded or scaled back; as of July 2025, nearly 200 actions are included
Topics: BRID, plastics pact
Reading time: 2 minutes
