EU Commission’s working group on FCMs discusses revision of ceramics directive and plastics recycling; meeting agenda and presentation now available
EU working group on FCMs: Meeting presentation
EDC criteria should be science-based
Endocrine Society meets European Commissioner, highlights EDCs as public health threat and urges Commissioner to adopt science-based criteria without potency cutoffs
EFSA extends information call for two plastic FCM additives
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) extends information submission deadline on two amines approved as additives in plastic food contact materials (FCMs); information on FCM No. 19 and 20 due by December 31, 2020
EU to reduce plastic bag use
EU Member States required to reduce plastic bag usage by 80% by 2025
EFSA study: Bioaccumulation and toxicity of mineral oils
New EFSA scientific study tests different mixtures of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH), relevant to human diet, in rats; bioaccumulation at low dose MOSH exposure in humans possibly underestimated; MOSH appear persistent in adipose tissue
Plastics Pact launched in Oceania
Sixty stakeholders in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands form ANZPAC, join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact initiative; 11th plastic pact overall, second regional pact and first in Oceania; 2025 goals include: 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable, 25% increase in plastic packaging collected and recycled by each country in the region
Harmonizing ECHA and EFSA data
EU Parliament’s Environment Committee launches working group on harmonization of safety data held by EU chemicals, food safety and medicines agencies
Conjugated BPA is biologically active
New study by Health Canada questions key assumption of bisphenol A risk assessment, shows obesogenic properties of allegedly “detoxified” food contact substance
Researchers associate diet and microplastics with EDC exposure
Epidemiological studies investigate association between diet and endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure; find recommended healthy diets not protective against EDC exposure; report association of plastic-free diet with reduced urinary bisphenol A (BPA) in children; researchers performing bioaccessibility tests using gut fluids find release of phthalates and BPA from microplastics may pose human health risk