News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
March 19, 2026
US Department of Agriculture addresses petition by Biodegradable Products Institute; decides synthetic polymers not eligible for inclusion on National List of Allowed Prohibited Substances; open to assessment of individual polymers for inclusion; implications for California compostable packaging law; BPI now filing new petition
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 18, 2026
Survey of 5,357 Americans shows 90% concerned about exposure to harmful chemicals in food packaging; 66% think more needs to be done to ensure safety of consumer products; 83% feel US government needs to do more to identify and regulate harmful chemicals
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 17, 2026
PR3 and CSA Group share design standard for durability and safety of reusable containers over repeated use and washing; include chemicals and chemical groups that cannot be used in manufacturing; limit use of post-consumer recycled content in reusable plastic containers for food and beverage applications; add disclosure requirements for manufacturing materials
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 16, 2026
Netflix documentary investigates impacts of using everyday plastic products on health and fertility; based on a peer-reviewed scientific study that follows six couples during a three-month intervention; finds that reducing daily plastics exposure at home reduced levels of specific chemicals of concern in the body; study participants saw promising improvements in fertility markers
Reading time: 3 minutes
March 13, 2026
European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) briefing covers why food contact materials (FCMs) are regulated, what regulations apply to FCMs, which materials are subject to harmonized EU rules or nation-level legislation, and ongoing work; report references Food Packaging Forum projects and resources
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 10, 2026
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) urges innovation in paper-based materials to replace items like wrappers and sachets; outlines six criteria to avoid regrettable substitution, including avoiding hazardous substances
Topics: paper and board
Reading time: 1 minute
March 9, 2026
Malaysia updates limits on heavy metals in ceramic cookware; state of Perak introduces plastic bag ban
Reading time: 1 minute
March 5, 2026
Thai Food and Drug Administration publishes proposed updates for regulation of food contact ceramics and new regulations for metals, glass, and paper and board; proposal rarely outlines exact migration limits, instead referencing official Thai standards to avoid future regulator involvement
Reading time: 4 minutes
March 3, 2026
Scientists clarify that biobased content does not guarantee regulatory exemption in EU unless chemically unmodified; develop decision tree to help design biobased materials that align with current EU regulation; call for harmonized, updated definitions to avoid inconsistency and ambiguity on terms like biobased and bioplastics
Reading time: 4 minutes
March 2, 2026
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety proposes amendments to food contact regulation; one proposal is to allow use of recycled polypropylene, limit use of certain plasticizers in PVC; second proposal subjects rubber and silicone products for children to stricter chemical migration limits; government also taking steps to curb plastic pollution via bans on free plastic cups and label on bottled water
Reading time: 2 minutes
