News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
April 16, 2021
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) releases legislative guide discussing four approaches to reduce plastic waste generation; includes single-use plastic bans, tax and economic incentives, product standards, extended producer responsibility; advocates for multipronged, complementary regulations
Reading time: 1 minute
April 15, 2021
Co-author of Science publication discusses need to establish an international science-policy interface body for chemicals and waste management, would provide information how to reduce levels of harmful chemicals, improve communication between science and politics, cover more substances; asks scientific community to support proposal
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 15, 2021
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) general guidelines for good manufacturing practice of food contact materials (FCMs), the safety and safe use of FCMs within the food industry, and sale of FCMs within ASEAN Member States recently made available online
Topics: ASEAN, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
April 14, 2021
Sets definitions for 58 terms including “plastic”, “biodegradable plastic”, “composite”, and “polymer”; also defines process to mark and identify biobased materials; standard to become effective on June 1, 2021
Reading time: 1 minute
April 14, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) proposes addition of seven substances of very high concern (SVHC) to REACH authorization list; includes the siloxanes octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6), terphenyl, hydrogenated, di(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DCHP), disodium octaborate, and benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride (TMA)
Reading time: 1 minute
April 14, 2021
New webpage publishes overview tracking current bills affecting the recycling system under consideration by the United States Congress; provides overviews of ‘bills to watch’ and related developments
Topics: recycling, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
April 14, 2021
European Commission announces new Open Research Europe platform; facilitates peer-reviewed publication process for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe research projects; open-access publishing free for all EU project participants even after the end of the EU grant period
Reading time: 0 minutes
April 14, 2021
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California grants preliminary injunction halting new lawsuits to enforce the Proposition 65 warning requirement for acrylamide in food and beverages; Californian Chamber of Commerce claims no scientific consensus, argues labels misleading consumers, unconstitutionally forcing speech; only applies to new acrylamide lawsuits; motion for summary judgment denied
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 13, 2021
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) reissues risk assessment on perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS); sets reference doses for chronic exposure of 0.0003 mg/kg body weight/day and sub-chronic exposures of 0.001 mg/kg body weight/day
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 13, 2021
Retailers Lidl and Colruyt announce testing front-of-pack EcoScore label; uses life cycle assessment to estimate ecological footprint based on climate change, water use, land use, acidification; considers packaging recyclability; if test-phase successful Lidl will consider implementation in all its German locations
Reading time: 2 minutes
