News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
August 12, 2026
Starting August 12 EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) provisions related to PFAS take effect; food contact packaging meeting or exceeding concentration limits cannot be placed on EU market; European Commission recommends tiered testing approach and confirms no general stock-exhaustion period
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 4, 2026
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drafts revised standard for plastic feeding bottles; includes migration testing, restrictions on bisphenol A; Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comments encouraging stronger chemical safety provisions; raises concerns on regrettable substitution, non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), mixture toxicity, and infant-specific vulnerability
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 3, 2026
Study shows presence of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) in 19 new and seven used beeswax wraps (i.e., 100% of samples) sourced from several countries; demonstrates accumulation of CPs on beeswax wraps from contaminated indoor environments during storage
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 30, 2026
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) updates its risk assessment on 27 brominated flame retardants (BFRs) including data since 2012; newly concludes some BFRs as genotoxic, carcinogenic or reprotoxic; identifies major data gaps that hamper risk characterization of many substances; highlights recycled plastic food contact materials as potential exposure source for hazardous BFRs
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 29, 2026
Using epidemiological data of 136,982 adults, scientists examine association between occupational airborne micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure and respiratory health outcomes; find occupational exposure to be associated with reduced lung function and increased odds of respiratory symptoms
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 23, 2026
US study estimates at least 5.1 billion pounds (2.3 million metric tons) of post-consumer plastic recovered for recycling in 2024; overall increase compared with 2022; growth largely driven by plastic film; plastic bottle recovery declined
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 21, 2026
UK government releases 2027 recyclability assessment methodology; large packaging producers legally required to use it; rates packaging as red, amber or green; automatic red in case of electrical components, chemicals of concern, non-compliant inks, PFAS, non-compliant food contact materials, restricted packaging formats including certain single-use plastics; first-year reporting highlights challenges improving packaging recyclability
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 20, 2026
Most food contact articles manufactured using bisphenol A (BPA) can no longer be introduced to the EU market; further deadlines remain for selected packaging and professional equipment
Topics: bisphenol A, European Commission
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 16, 2026
Indonesia's food and drug authority (BPOM) adopts new regulation on food contact materials (FCMs); establishes migration requirements for different packaging materials; introduces extensive positive and negative lists for food contact chemicals; positive list includes problematic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA); explicit provisions for reusable and recycled food packaging; creates pathway for approval of new food contact chemicals and materials
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 15, 2026
European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes updated model estimating packaging placed on the market across 19 EU countries; finds plastic packaging volumes increased by about 11% between 2011 and 2025; identifies substantial differences in packaging material use and potential material shifts across product categories and countries
Reading time: 2 minutes
