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Migration from bamboo-containing plastic FCMs

Scientists detect dozens of volatile and non-volatile substances migrating from ‘bamboo’ food packaging; melamine migration exceeding specific migration limit; conclude bamboo-melamine articles ‘a risk to consumer’s health,’ their promotion as biodegradable ‘a fraud to consumers’

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Earth Action report assesses leakage of plastic additives into the environment

Earth Action (EA) publishes report quantifying plastic additives leaking into the environment; estimates more than 6,000,000 tons of additives leak into the environment annually by applying a mathematical modeling approach; briefing paper assesses environmental and human health impacts of plastic additives and discusses ways forward

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Studies present new generic and specific modeling approaches for FCCs migration

Scientists develop nonlinear model for predicting food contact chemical (FCC) migration and apply it to FCCs of high toxicological concern; emphasize usefulness of their model to speed up migration assessment of FCCs; different group of scientists proposes an innovative modeling approach to assess release of a specific additives and elements from plastic food packaging and steel processing tools

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FAO updates COVID guidance for food businesses

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) updates their report on guidance for preventing transmission of COVID-19 within food businesses; states “data indicates that neither food nor food packaging is a pathway for the spread of viruses causing respiratory illnesses, including SARS-CoV-2”; update replaces guidance document from April 2020

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EFSA’s styrene assessment requests systematic review

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel publishes assessment of styrene in plastic food contact materials, follows 2018 International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conclusion labelling it as ‘probably carcinogenic’; calls for systematic review of genotoxicity, toxicokinetics, species differences to determine safety