News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
August 25, 2023
Australian environment ministers agree to “address the use of harmful chemicals in food packaging,” create packaging design standards and targets, harmonize curbside recycling programs; details forthcoming
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 22, 2023
DEHCH deemed safe as additives in PVC for food contact; comes into effect 20 days after publication in EU’s Official Journal
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 21, 2023
Review describes how cost and disease burden of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can be reduced by policy actions informed by science; recommended solutions include updating testing to account for mixture, cumulative exposure, effects occurring later life; second review summarizes studies linking EDC exposure with immunological and metabolic impacts during pregnancy
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 15, 2023
Zero Waste Europe compares three packaging life cycle assessment (LCA) studies; two are industry-funded, one is published by a university; finds that industry funding introduces heavy biases when making assumptions about reuse systems; also finds industry-funded reports lack transparency in methodologies
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 14, 2023
3D-model study finds 3,200 kilotonnes of buoyant marine plastic litter in 2020, majority on the surface and >25 mm in size; projects annual growth of 4%; solves mystery on ‘missing’ sink for plastic pollution
Topics: plastics
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 10, 2023
EU amends plastic FCM regulation; adjusts specific migration limits for five phthalates; removes authorized use of two FCMs; adds five new authorized substances; came into force on August 1, 2023
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 10, 2023
Scientists find cyclic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) oligomers migrate into fatty food simulants but not olive oil; levels higher from recycled compared to virgin PET; comprehensive extraction and migration experiments of Tritan™ products find oligomer migration from bottles of no toxicological concern but microwaveable containers were non-suitable for food heating
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 8, 2023
CRI and Reloop collaborate on assessing if there is a correlation between beverage sales and implementation of reuse systems; study is based on real-world empirical data; did not find definitive link
Topics: reuse
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 7, 2023
Four recent studies assess microplastics: in human semen, heart, from baby food containers, and suitability of in vitro models to investigate human health effects; find microplastics in six out of ten semen samples, find impacts on semen quality; samples from cardiac surgery patients contain microplastics in heart and surrounding tissue; billions of nano- and microplastics released from plastic baby food containers; outline challenges and recommendation of studying plastic particles in vitro
Reading time: 5 minutes
August 4, 2023
Following multiple reports of trouble within the food branch of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022, agency is beginning to implement structural changes to review food contact substances already on the market
Reading time: 1 minute
