Over 20 scientists present a vision for safer food contact materials (FCMs); propose new approach to test all chemicals that migrate from final product for their contribution to highly prevalent chronic diseases
EFSA’s activities on emerging risks
European Food Safety Authority publishes report summarizing activities related to emerging risk identification in 2018; considers food contact additives and related challenges of substituting materials
EDCs in plastics cost the US $250 billion in healthcare annually
Scientists calculate US health care costs caused by a well-studied subset of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics; estimate exposure cost $250 billion in 2018, equivalent to 1.22% of Gross Domestic Product; recommend addressing chemicals of concern in global plastics treaty to reduce disease burden and costs
UK plastics pact
UK WRAP alliance and Ellen MacArthur Foundation launch UK Plastics Pact uniting national stakeholders; platform part of international initiative The Plastics Pact aiming to accelerate transition towards new plastics economy
EDC journal editors call upon scientists to cooperate in EDC research and policy
Editors-in-Chief publish response to Dietrich et al., European EDC policy to be based on state-of-the-science, not outdated assumptions
EU to ban landfill for recyclables
European Commission announces a ban of landfills for recyclables by 2025; industry comments
McDonald’s to trial new packaging
Two Canadian concept restaurant locations to trial new packaging including fully re-pulpable cups, fiber lids, wooden cutlery, paper straws; items could be rolled out widely in the future
ChemSec: SIN List chemicals for Candidate List
International Chemical Secretariat responds to ECHA’s analysis of SIN List, deems current regulatory process too slow, demands adding all SIN List chemicals on SVHC Candidate List for authorization
BPA and prostate cancer risk
CLARITY-BPA academic study confirms increased susceptibility to hormonally induced prostate cancer in rats developmentally exposed to bisphenol A
Phthalates: impact on leiomyoma growth and mixture risk
Study identifies mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) exposure as high-risk factor for leiomyoma growth on epidemiological and mechanistic level; European biomonitoring of five reprotoxic phthalates demonstrates necessity to integrate mixture risk assessment into regulatory practice; targeted analysis shows migration of five phthalates from polypropylene food packaging