News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
March 10, 2023
National Health Commission publishes draft amendment to standard on uses of additives in food contact materials (FCMs) and articles; includes correction about specific migration limits of certain chemicals
Reading time: 1 minute
March 9, 2023
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) releases workshop report summarizing current challenges, policies, and potential approaches concerning the sustainable design of flexible food-grade packaging from a chemical perspective
Reading time: 1 minute
March 8, 2023
Media collaboration evaluates Europe’s contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); maps 17,000 known and 21,000 presumed contamination sites; ChemSec launches PFAS guide for companies
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 8, 2023
Countries are submitting proposals to the UN Environment Program to guide Plastics Treaty development; US proposes treaty focus on downstream effects – reuse and recycling; proposal from 40-nation ‘high ambition coalition’ proposes setting up limits on polymer production, eliminating certain polymers and products; over 60 proposals received so far; stakeholder registration is open for the next negotiating meeting for the Plastics Treaty in Paris, France in May 2023
Reading time: 3 minutes
March 7, 2023
Study determines toxicity and composition of 42 silicon rubber food contact articles; finds 84% of silicon kitchenware to induce endocrine activity; review gives update on the known endocrine disruptors phthalates and bisphenols with focus on detection methods and addressing regulatory concerns; study develops and applies method for phthalate determination in vegetable oils
Reading time: 4 minutes
March 6, 2023
Colombia Plastics Pact launches; the second Latin American country to join the Plastics Pact program; reports show UK and US Plastics Pacts are unlikely to hit 2025 goals as total plastic use keeps increasing
Reading time: 1 minute
March 3, 2023
The European Standardisation Committee on Plastics approves new work item proposal on reusable plastic tableware; withstanding five dishwashing cycles set as a new criterion for labeling plastic tableware as reusable
Reading time: 1 minute
March 2, 2023
Minutes available from recent meetings of the working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), and recycling plastics, within the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel); no further meeting of the BPA working group planned; specific migration limit (SML) for styrene in FCMs upcoming
Reading time: 3 minutes
February 28, 2023
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposes structural changes within the institution in response to recent critique; includes increased focus on nutrition, partnerships with other regulatory authorities and incorporating outside advisors; Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) publishes report on obesogens; encourages FDA to ‘incorporate framework’ to identify obesogens and other endocrine disruptors when reviewing chemical safety
Reading time: 3 minutes
February 27, 2023
Interlaboratory study evaluates protocol for consistent safety assessment of coated metal packaging materials; guidance comprises sample preparation, chemical and biological analysis; finds technical differences affect outcome; emphasizes need for aligned protocol to avoid inconsistencies
Reading time: 2 minutes
