News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
May 26, 2021
Chilean legislature unanimously passes comprehensive single-use and recycled plastics regulations; regulation bans single-use plastic use within a food establishment, compels markets and convenience stores to only sell recyclable beverage containers, beverage containers must contain plastic collected and recycled within Chile; regulations come into effect over 3 years
Reading time: 1 minute
May 26, 2021
Department of Ecology (DoE) for US state of Washington publishes document outlining scope of second alternatives assessment for PFAS in food packaging; defines five specific food packaging applications to focus on: flat serviceware, open-top containers, closed containers, bags and sleeves, and bowls; defines PFAS alternatives to evaluate; currently accepting comments
Topics: PFAS, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
May 26, 2021
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announces public consultation period concerning draft on “scientific criteria for grouping chemicals into assessment groups for human risk assessment” of chemical mixtures; particular focus on chemicals related to food and feed safety; seeking feedback from experts in chemical risk assessment, organizations and people in the field of chemicals mixtures and food safety; comment period ends July 10, 2021
Topics: EFSA, mixture toxicity
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 21, 2021
Coalition of civil society organizations samples paper food packaging articles from major fast-food chains and supermarkets across six European countries; chemical analysis finds 32 articles were intentionally treated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); differences identified among countries, results show the currently few national regulations on PFAS are effective where they are in place
Topics: PFAS
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 21, 2021
Trends in Food Science & Technology publishes outcome from multistakeholder workshop by International Life Science Institute “to identify knowledge gaps in analytical methods, assessment of exposure, hazard characterization, and risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH);” highlights need for standardization of MOH measurements in food, finds few studies look at packaging material or foods packaged in materials other than paperboard
Topics: mineral oils, MOAH
Reading time: 0 minutes
May 20, 2021
Two recent reports published by the African Circular Economy Alliance related to food packaging; “Five Big Bets to Africa’s path to Circularity” looks at opportunities to support African economy and environment, reviews current plastics and packaging infrastructure; “Building the African Circular Economy: Focus on Plastics” is a detailed research report of the plastics economy across Africa
Reading time: 0 minutes
May 20, 2021
NGOs in the United States including Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Earth Justice, and the Environmental Defense Fund, launch campaign calling on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update its rules about chemicals present in food packaging; new campaign targets heavy metals, PFAS, phthalates, and perchlorate
Reading time: 0 minutes
May 20, 2021
Minderoo Foundation publishes “Plastic Waste Makers Index”; identifies 20 firms that produce polymers responsible for 55% of world’s plastic waste; calculates and illustrates global plastic flows from production through to end of life; provides recommendations for polymer producers, investors and banks, policymakers, and other companies along supply chain to enable shift towards circular economy
Topics: circular economy, plastics
Reading time: 0 minutes
May 19, 2021
Paper in Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering analyzes sources of chemical losses throughout the chemical life cycle, suggests approaches to improve chemical circularity; losses include fugitive emissions in manufacturing, dissipation in field use, impurities and regulatory incompatibility interfering with recycling; propose two changes to chemical assessments to guide sustainable production and use
Reading time: 3 minutes
May 19, 2021
Review in Environmental Science and Technology presents evidence that plastic pollution fulfills all three criteria necessary for consideration as a planetary boundary threat: global exposure, not easily reversible, creating hazards disrupting earth system processes; suggests research priorities to find extent of planetary boundary but states risk that “boundary threshold for environmental plastics could be crossed before it is known”
Reading time: 2 minutes
