News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
October 13, 2021
On the first day of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss their latest scientific research projects covering food contact chemical migration, human biomonitoring, mixture effects, threshold levels, microplastics, and impacts on reproduction
Reading time: 9 minutes
October 13, 2021
On the second day of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss the investments necessary to understand complex food and packaging supply chains and the benefits of taking the time to do so; assessing plastic circularity through a more honest assessment of the post-consumer life of plastics; the ongoing work of European Commission’s food contact materials policy revision
Reading time: 6 minutes
October 13, 2021
On the third day of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss the new Understanding Packaging Scorecard that helps improve packaging procurement decision making, how regulators assess food packaging in the lab and on the market, new projects investigating plastics, and how understanding game theory in group decision making can lead to societal benefits
Reading time: 7 minutes
October 13, 2021
Scientists’ Viewpoint proposes ‘chemical simplification’ to deal with increasing chemical pollution; names reduction of number of chemicals used in products and grouping approaches as cornerstones for simplification and innovation in science and engineering as prerequisite
Reading time: 3 minutes
October 11, 2021
Four scientific articles report on phthalate exposure sources and impacts; diet partly explains urinary phthalate levels in adolescents and children surveyed in the US and New Zealand; review of reviews summarizes human health impacts; finds studies on women “generally underrepresented”; study indicates three phthalates affect human oral health
Reading time: 5 minutes
October 11, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) scientists, and chemical supply chain stakeholders meet online for Safer Chemicals Conference; discuss changes to chemical assessments, nanomaterials, launch of SCIP database; highlights inefficient communication between stakeholders slowing down processes
Topics: chemicals strategy, ECHA
Reading time: 4 minutes
October 8, 2021
Scientists explore potential impacts of microplastics on human intestine ecology; microplastics may drive unhealthy changes in the gut microbiome; authors highlight importance of assessing human microplastics exposure and hazards for the gut
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 6, 2021
In a 20-minute headline story, host John Oliver discusses the history and health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); includes non-stick cookware and fast-food packaging as sources of contamination
Topics: PFAS
Reading time: 3 minutes
October 5, 2021
Study by Global PFAS Science Panel finds lack of information, transparency, and stakeholder coordination hindering phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); Green Science Policy Institute publishes repository linking to 75 databases on PFAS
Topics: PFAS
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 5, 2021
Scientists summarize literature on chemicals in can-packaged food including metals, plastic-associated chemicals, and furans; report generally low contaminant levels but a lack of non-targeted and suspect screenings; find canning steps, internal and external factors to influence contaminant levels
Reading time: 3 minutes
