Consulting firm Quantis announces start of project to develop methodology to assess plastic leakage; aims to support companies in minimizing plastic pollution along their value chains
McDonald’s phases out PFAS
McDonald’s announces plan to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from all guest packaging materials globally by 2025
Collaborative to verify and register safer chemical alternatives
Chem Forward and Sustainable Packaging Coalition launch collaborative to identify, assess, and verify safer alternatives for use in food packaging; plan to develop cloud-based registration system, highlight best practices, develop common agenda to accelerate systemic change
ECHA recognizes PFBS as substance of very high concern
European member states agree to recognize perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) as a substance of very high concern (SVHC); cite equivalent concern to carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic substances, high mobility in environment
Hazard prioritization of printing inks and adhesives substances
Scientific study performs hazard prioritization on chemicals in printing inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging; uses publicly available “substances of concern” lists and an in silico tool; identifies 636 high and 1024 medium priority substances of which 696 ranked as “very high priority substances” by experts
Printing ink exposure from FCM significantly underestimated
New study investigates occurrence of photoinitiators in carton board packaging, finds benzophenone present in 50% of samples, surface to mass ratio 6 times higher than in EU legislation
BPA-free can coatings progressing slowly
Developing non-BPA can coatings challenges manufacturers; lower-production-volume raw materials result in higher cost; lower performance reduces shelf-life
Extending the use of bioplastics in food packaging
New study reviews the application of bioplastics in food packaging: coating, blending and chemical/physical modification can improve functionality, migration issues still to be resolved
Simplified FCM regulation wanted
FCM experts and stakeholders gather in EU Member State Luxembourg to discuss innovation, regulatory requirements, risk assessment, and enforcement of food contact materials regulation; call for harmonized approaches and collaboration
UV-328 listed as POP under the Stockholm Convention
11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention lists UV absorber as Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP); first non-halogenated POP under the Convention; also listing of flame retardant dechlorane plus and pesticide methoxychlor in Annex A