News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
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
February 27, 2026
Greenpeace report reviews scientific evidence on chemical migration from plastic food packaging; finds plastic containers can release micro- and nanoplastics and chemicals into food; leaching is increased when food is heated in plastic packaging; calls for immediate action and applying the precautionary principle to better protect human health
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 26, 2026
Study analyzes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in 18 food contact materials (FCMs) before and after applying total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay; PFAS levels increased 420-fold in FCMs after TOP, highlighting the need to consider PFAS precursors in safety assessments; short-chain PFAS dominated
Topics: chemical analysis, PFAS
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 24, 2026
Corporate Europe Observatory investigation discusses industry lobbying against REACH revision; shows European Commission members met with industry 93 times, NGOs 14 times; highlights most relevant REACH issues discussed; summarizes ongoing industry lobbying techniques
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 17, 2026
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia announces gradual ban on single-use plastic for food contact; by February 1, 2027, sale of food packaged in or served on plastic will be prohibited; like Canada, exempts production of plastic food contact materials for export
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 11, 2026
European investigation sheds light on chemical recycling practices; questions whether chemical recycling is a sustainable approach; shows examples of potentially misleading green claims using mass balance approaches
Reading time: 3 minutes
