On January 29, 2020, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids published an assessment of the plastic additive bis(2-ethylhexyl)cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylate (DEHCH, CAS 84731-70-4) for use in food contact materials (FCMs). Specifically, DEHCH “is intended to be used as plasticizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) film [at] up to 25% w/w in contact with aqueous, acidic and low-alcohol foods for long-term storage at room temperature or below (refrigerated and frozen). The films are not intended for use in reheating food.”
The substance was found to “not raise a concern for genotoxicity.” In repeated dose toxicity studies, “no adverse effects were observed up to the highest tested dose of 1000 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day.” However, there remained some “uncertainty on the potential for accumulation for humans.” Nonetheless, the Panel “concluded that . . . [DEHCH] is not of safety concern for the consumer” when used under the intended conditions. A specific migration limit for the substance was set at 0.050 mg/kg food.
Read more
EFSA (2020). “Safety assessment of the substance bis(2-ethylhexyl)cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylate, for use in food contact materials.” EFSA Journal 18: e05973.
Chemical Watch (February 4, 2020). “DEHCH safe for use in food packaging – Efsa.”
