News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
June 24, 2025
New research published by the Food Packaging Forum (FPF) finds that normal and intended use of plastic food packaging and other food contact articles (FCAs) can release micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) into food; identifies research gaps; suggests need for harmonized testing and reporting to improve data reliability; recommends regulations to mandate MNP migration testing for FCAs
Topics: microplastics, nanoplastics
Reading time: 3 minutes
June 23, 2025
South American trade bloc MERCOSUR amends several food contact related regulations; Chile continues to develop its REACH-like chemicals management system, hazardous substances for non-industrial use need to be registered by August 30, 2025; Peru publishes draft regulation on recyclable and biodegradable plastic tableware
Reading time: 3 minutes
June 19, 2025
Scientists point out that current chemicals management approach, centered around industry, is not fully protective of human and environmental health; introduce the concept of shaping consumer behavior as a complementary approach; explain the novelty of the concept, and how to implement it to arrive at safe and sustainable chemical consumption
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 18, 2025
East Africa Community trading bloc announces several new standards; Egypt, Kenya implement extended producer responsibility schemes; Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Dubai implement various single use plastics bans; Isreal aligns over 40 import standards on food and agricultural products with the EU
Reading time: 4 minutes
June 12, 2025
India accepting comments on revised guide of suitability of plastics for packaging guide, approves recycled PET for food contact; Indonesia mandating new paper and paperboard standard, updated FCM regulation published; new law in Singapore streamlines FCM regulations; Thailand plans to regulate food contact paper, bans plastic waste imports
Reading time: 3 minutes
June 11, 2025
Food Packaging Forum releases the Food Contact Chemicals Priority (FCCprio) List; 1,222 substances have harmonized hazard data showing persistence, bioaccumulation, mobility, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, or others; 81 % of all known food contact chemicals lack harmonized hazard data
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 5, 2025
Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment aims to summarize US “childhood chronic disease crisis and any potential contributing causes”; Assessment mandated by Executive Order with additional recommendations and strategy forthcoming; part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) project spearheaded by Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr.
Reading time: 5 minutes
June 4, 2025
Translated frequently asked questions (FAQ) detail requirements for Japanese plastic food contact materials positive list; transitional measures for complying with the positive list will expire on May 31, 2025; new draft proposal on reassessment of substances on the positive list
Reading time: 1 minute
June 3, 2025
European scientists write an open letter to the European Commission; express that the proposed scope of the REACH revision does not reflect current scientific evidence; call for inclusion of a mixture assessment factor to account for chemical mixtures
Topics: mixture toxicity, REACH
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 2, 2025
Scientists analyze currently used indicators for monitoring and enforcing waste prevention; include 123 national and company indicators in Europe; analysis reveals large disparities, inconsistencies, and gaps in current waste prevention indicators, potentially enabling greenwashing
Reading time: 3 minutes
