News

The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.

July 5, 2022

Scientists evaluate inhaled microplastics

Report microplastics occur in lower airways of European citizens with the majority being fibers; evaluate microplastics indoor and outdoor exposure sources; work out established particle domains and paradigms can help predict toxicity of inhaled microplastic particles
Reading time: 4 minutes

July 5, 2022

EC to amend plastics regulation later in 2022

European Commission informs of planned amendments to (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic food contact materials; clarification that regulation applies to non-recycled plastics; adapts rules on migration testing for multilayer materials; introduces purity requirements; feedback period planned for later this year, adoption by end of 2022
Reading time: 0 minutes

July 4, 2022

Chemical monitoring database published

Multimedia Monitoring Database (MMDB) comprises data from 20 public monitoring data sources in harmonized machine-readable format; to support chemical exposure assessment and decision-making
Reading time: 1 minute

July 4, 2022

US ban on PFAS in food packaging moves to next step

United States Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions approves addition of amendment to routine bill funding the Food and Drug Administration that would ban PFAS in food packaging in the US; if bill ultimately passes, the ban would go into effect January 1, 2024
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Reading time: 0 minutes

July 4, 2022

EPHA envisions policy making healthy, sustainable food the default

European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) publishes position paper on the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy; supports creating a European public health vision including One Health concept, and that analyzes the health costs of non-action; highlights ways food system, including chemicals, affects Europeans’ health; states health impacts from chemicals “insufficiently quantified”
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Reading time: 0 minutes

June 29, 2022

Forecasting food packaging in 2040

UPM Specialty Papers and Smithers survey over 200 packaging professionals to make predictions on the food packaging market in 2040; respondents believe that by 2040 packaging sustainability will be dictated by government mandates and consumers will no longer accept tradeoffs between sustainability and convenience
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Reading time: 2 minutes

June 28, 2022

Studying phthalates: Linkage with dietary habits and molecular changes

Biomonitoring finds regular takeaway food consumption increases phthalate exposure; intervention study links plastic packaged hot soup consumption with increased phthalate exposure and changes in mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines; structural analysis suggests non-phthalate alternative plasticizers have potential for thyroid hormone disruption
Reading time: 5 minutes

June 24, 2022

Member States endorse a strong REACH revision

Ministers of environment from 8 EU Member States write open letter to EU Commission to uphold the original ambitions of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability during the REACH revision and elsewhere in EU policy; Commission should set date for when hazardous chemicals must be out of consumer products; regulations should include essential use concept, risk assessment of chemicals mixtures
Reading time: 2 minutes

June 24, 2022

Study identifies chemicals driving semen quality deterioration

Scientists perform mixture risk assessment on 29 chemicals capable of affecting semen quality; show exposure to chemicals that lead to declined semen quality highly exceed tolerable daily intake in Europe; identify bisphenols, polychlorinated dioxins, paracetamol, and phthalates as risk drivers
Reading time: 2 minutes

June 23, 2022

Behavioral studies shed light on how to increase reuse, recycling, and sustainable packaging use

Two scientific studies explore recycling and reuse behavior and options for improvement; report that high level of perceived policy effectiveness can favor residents’ recycling behavior; combine environmental impacts assessment with behavioral science to determine best packaging reuse option and system; third study evaluates consumers' response to sustainable packaging when benefit trade-offs are involved
Reading time: 5 minutes
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