News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
April 6, 2022
Smithers conference covers global developments in food contact regulations and materials; speakers on day one review recent and upcoming changes to food packaging regulations in the US, Canada, and the South American trade bloc Mercosur
Reading time: 5 minutes
April 6, 2022
First human biomonitoring study encounters plastic particles of four different polymer types in human blood; in vivo study reports polystyrene nanoparticles pass blood-brain barrier and induce neurotoxicity in mice; review summarizes plastic particle and titanium dioxide impacts on human gut epithelial integrity, gut homeostasis, and intestinal inflammation
Reading time: 4 minutes
April 5, 2022
European Commission calls for stakeholder comments on an initiative to restructure scientific assessments of chemicals across EU agencies to move towards ‘one substance, one assessment’; feedback period open until April 12, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
April 5, 2022
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) presentations provide guidance on small particles in food and feed applications (i) evaluating the potential presence of particles in ‘conventional’ materials and (ii) how to perform nano-specific risk assessment; stakeholders share experience and discuss practices to implement guidance cost-effectively
Reading time: 5 minutes
April 4, 2022
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes literature review to find and evaluate risks that could come from a circular economy, actions the agency could take to mitigate any risks; suggests further research on exposure risks from shelf life extending materials as well as recycled, reusable, and biobased packaging; European Commission proposes ecodesign for sustainable products regulation; Ireland’s cabinet passes circular economy bill
Reading time: 4 minutes
April 4, 2022
In the first quarter of 2022 Circle Economy, the OECD, and Zero Waste Europe publish reports investigating various aspects of material value chains and share insights to ‘close the circularity gap’ and ‘bend the plastics curve’; evaluate material usage globally, plastics in OECD nations and globally, and PET in Europe
Reading time: 4 minutes
April 1, 2022
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removes the last two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the agency’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List; Safer Choice Program products to be PFAS-free by March 2023; issues letter to handlers of fluorinated polyolefin containers raising awareness for presence of unintended PFAS that may violate Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 31, 2022
Reporters from Bloomberg track three pieces of flexible plastic after they were placed in British grocery store recycling bins; some flexible plastics are recyclable, but others may end up burned for energy; one product ended up in Poland, likely burned in a cement factory; another in a Turkish facility where recycling is questionable
Reading time: 0 minutes
March 30, 2022
Standing Committee of the European Commission debates a slightly revised draft regulation on recycled plastics in food contact materials (FCMs); voting carried out as written procedure; final decision expected to be favorable
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 30, 2022
Market research from German consumer organization Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV) finds consumers are concerned about food packaging safety but have little understanding of chemicals in packaging; consumers assume all food contact materials and their components have been tested for safety
Reading time: 3 minutes
