Researchers at University of Plymouth find rare earth elements in 24 of 31 tested products including children’s toys, food contact materials (FCMs); highest abundance in plastic recycled from electronic waste; authors suggest plastic recycling process as source for contamination; suggest elements as indicators for presence of other additives such as brominated flame retardants
ECHA: 2nd consultation on phthalates’ authorization
ECHA consults on uses of DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP which may no longer be exempted from authorization, including FCM uses; deadline for comments March 12, 2019
Migration of nitrosamines from FCMs
Scientists develop analytical method to measure N-nitrosamines migrating from elastomeric food contact materials; 6 nitrosamines detected frequently; BfR-recommended limit exceeded for one styrene block copolymer sample
Public consultation on 4 phthalates’ Authorisation List entries
EU Commission to update Authorisation List entries for DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP to reflect endocrine disrupting properties; ECHA consults on uses no longer exempted from authorization, such as FCMs, until August 6, 2018
Priorities for future work on food safety
EFSA-commissioned survey of expert opinions identifies 28 priority topics for work on food safety, covering chemical, microbiological and environmental risk assessment, and nutrition
Safe and Sustainable by Design: 1st EU stakeholder workshop
European Commission holds workshop with stakeholders to discuss criteria for chemicals that are Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD); implementation of EU’s Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) will depend on clear and implementable criteria for SSbD, amongst other central pillars such as essential use and generic risk assessment
New EU guidance on plastic migration testing forthcoming
Working group shares draft document at EU Commission’s FCM stakeholder meeting
Debating environmental risks of microplastics
Scientists debate the urgency of research and actions on microplastics in the environment, present models to estimate accumulation of plastic debris and contaminants, assess risk of microplastics in the ocean
New EU rules on FCMs must be science based, simpler, and enforced
Food Packaging Forum comments on European Commission’s public consultation on its revision of EU rules on food contact materials (FCMs); stresses the importance of revising the definition of safety and aligning FCM regulations with EU strategies on chemical sustainability and circular economy
EU Commission’s Working Group on FCMs
EU Working Group on FCMs discusses BPA, amendments to EU 10/2011, mineral oil migration, authorization of recycling processes, migration testing guidelines