US National Toxicology Program Office of Health Assessment and Translation publishes standard operating procedures for conducting systematic reviews
News Article
January 15, 2015
News Article
February 16, 2022
How much styrene is contained in packaged food: A scientific review
Systematic literature review identifies eight studies analyzing styrene levels in food; reports average level of 91.53 µg styrene/kg food; highlights knowledge gaps on other foodstuff besides dairy products
News Article
October 15, 2020
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
News Article
November 11, 2020
Review on mechanical recycling of plastic packaging
Article in peer-reviewed journal provides thorough overview of mechanical recycling processes by polymer, discusses chemical additives used; concludes mechanical recycling will remain most effective method to recycle plastics
News Article
August 19, 2022
Towards standardization of paper and cardboard sample preparation procedures
Scoping review assesses state-of-the-art of paper and cardboard food packaging safety assessment; maps sample preparation approaches, challenges, and factors influencing chemical migration; provides guidance to develop and evaluate standardized sample preparation methods
News Article
October 20, 2021
US EPA updates regulatory actions on chemicals
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces procedural changes to strengthen its review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); removes confidentiality status of 377 chemicals; releases PFAS Roadmap with timeline of policy actions and commitments
News Article
June 24, 2021
Review summarizes microplastic exposures to humans
Peer-reviewed article summarizes occurrence, source, and characterization of microplastics in food and beverages; reports highly variable concentrations within and between food categories; identifies water bodies, packaging, and food handling as source of microplastic contamination
News Article
May 19, 2021
Review finds plastic pollution qualifies as planetary boundary threat
Review in Environmental Science and Technology presents evidence that plastic pollution fulfills all three criteria necessary for consideration as a planetary boundary threat: global exposure, not easily reversible, creating hazards disrupting earth system processes; suggests research priorities to find extent of planetary boundary but states risk that “boundary threshold for environmental plastics could be crossed before it is known”
News Article
March 7, 2023
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
News Article
December 23, 2016
Nanomaterials in FCMs: Open questions on migration and safety
Scientists review migration of nanomaterials from polymer-based FCMs, question suitability of migration testing conditions and diffusion-based models for estimation of nanomaterials migration, point to knowledge gaps regarding actions in human body
