News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
August 23, 2022
Industry associations report recycling rates of packaging materials in Europe; average collection rate of glass bottles and jars hit 80% in 2020; paper packaging recycling over 80%; paper recycling rates close to theoretical maximum; plastic recycling has not increased despite increased demand by beverage companies; two-thirds of plastic-packaging pledges in Europe failed, supporting the change away from single-use likely necessary
Reading time: 5 minutes
August 19, 2022
Scoping review assesses state-of-the-art of paper and cardboard food packaging safety assessment; maps sample preparation approaches, challenges, and factors influencing chemical migration; provides guidance to develop and evaluate standardized sample preparation methods
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 17, 2022
Scientists explore the impact of long-term oral exposure of mammals to food packaging leachates on gut microbiome diversity, composition, and metabolites; report changes in gut microbiota and metabolites mainly associated with oxidative stress, immunity, and inflammatory responses
Topics: migration, toxicity testing
Reading time: 2 minutes
August 16, 2022
Scientists establish organophosphate esters (OPEs) baseline concentration in foodstuff across China and investigate the contamination sources; report extensive contamination of Chinese foodstuff with OPEs; uncover food packaging as source of these OPEs
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 11, 2022
Two studies analyze polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chemicals; identify several volatile chemicals present in and migrating from new PET bottles as well as from bottles commercially available in Japan; develop online method for quantifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 10, 2022
Scientists assess styrene levels in polystyrene food packaging, migration into refrigerated dairy products, in 50% ethanol, as well as factors influencing migration; report styrene migration of 5 to 30 µg/kg food at the best before date; find food contact area, temperature and time rather than fat content influence styrene migration
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 10, 2022
National Health Commission publishes updated paper and board food contact material (FCM) standard; includes changes to migration testing protocol; new bamboo and wood FCM standard
Reading time: 1 minute
August 9, 2022
New certification scheme by AIMPLAS tests chemical safety of reusable plastic food packaging prior to consumer use, including non-intentionally added substances (NIAS); tests physical characteristics after five dishwasher cycles
Reading time: 1 minute
August 8, 2022
Zero Waste Europe, CHEMTrust, and HEAL launch website for toxic free food packaging campaign; campaign focuses on the revision of the EU food contact materials law
Reading time: 1 minute
August 5, 2022
Four studies investigate bisphenol (BP) migration from packaging, occurrence in foodstuff, and human urine; report BPA migration from Nigerian epoxy-coated cans into malt drinks; detect four bisphenols in packaged water and honey samples; find BPS in Canadian meat products from 2008 to 2020 suggesting BPS is not a recent phenomenon; measure higher bisphenol alternative levels in Belgian population in 2018 than 2015
Reading time: 6 minutes
