France publishes new Order on food contact rubber and pacifiers for infants and toddlers; updates lists of authorized substances, their specifications, restrictions; law enters into force on July 1, 2021
Health advocates sue EPA over new TSCA rules
Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and other organizations ask U.S. court to review EPA’s final rules on prioritization and risk evaluation of chemicals, claim rules insufficiently protect health and environment
FDA issues final rule to streamline food contact notification process
U.S. Food and Drug Administration implements new rule on food contact authorization; aimed at enhancing food chemical safety administrative processes; enables administration to assess substances beyond safety considerations; effective on May 21, 2024
New EU rules restrict export of plastic waste
European Commission adopts new regulation banning export of hazardous and hard to recycle plastic waste to non-OECD countries from January 1, 2021; clean and recyclable plastic exports to only be approved under strict conditions; prior informed consent required for all intra-EU shipments
US EPA withdraws rules on “chemicals of concern list” and information disclosure
Huffington Post reports on withdrawal of two proposed rules by the US EPA, no longer necessary due to other efforts
Scientists find most silicon rubber kitchenwares are endocrine disrupting
Study determines toxicity and composition of 42 silicon rubber food contact articles; finds 84% of silicon kitchenware to induce endocrine activity; review gives update on the known endocrine disruptors phthalates and bisphenols with focus on detection methods and addressing regulatory concerns; study develops and applies method for phthalate determination in vegetable oils
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
Key aspects of sustainability of food packaging
Foster sustainability through holistic considerations along the food production and supply chain
EFSA: Rules for managing competing interests
EFSA publishes rules underpinning its new independence policy; rules to be first applied to renewal of Scientific Panels in July 2018
Russia publishes chemicals inventory
Ministry of Industry and Trade releases transitional inventory to inform developing chemicals regulation; open for additional submissions from Russian based companies until August 1, 2020