South American trade bloc MERCOSUR is updating its standards for silicone food contact materials; includes positive lists and specific migration limits for metal salts; stakeholders can comment on the draft until May 12, 2023; Argentina and Uruguay have already notified the World Trade Organization of impending changes
BPA exposure of Italian children via soft drinks
Italian researchers consider BPA contamination in soft drinks to be of risk for children’s health
Contamination found in paper straws
Swiss government laboratory tests paper drinking straws purchased from grocery stores and restaurants; finds chloropropanols, mineral oils, photoinitiators
Campaign detects mineral oil hydrocarbons in European food products
Foodwatch publishes test results of 152 food products sampled across Europe; finds mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) in 12% of them at levels up to 82 mg/kg food; petition calls for EU leaders to recall contaminated products and implement a zero-tolerance rule prohibiting any detectable level in all foods
Phthalates found in diverse array of foods, from coffee to baby formula
Systematic review summarizes phthalate occurrence in different foods, discusses sources, and potential risk; researchers assess how coffee packaging and brewing method affects bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP) levels in coffee; perform targeted analysis of 245 plastic additives in baby foods; report widespread contamination including a median of 46.1 ng phthalate esters per gram baby food
Scotland plans 2023 launch of drink container deposit program
Scotland plans to redirect ‘tens of millions’ of drinks bottles and cans to recycling streams by adding deposits; starting 2023, consumers pay extra 20 pence on purchase but get money back when container returned; roll-out delayed one year due to Brexit and pandemic
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
FDA study finds PFAS in grocery store foods
Study presented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finds high levels of PFAS in some grocery store products, focus placed on sampling dairy farm near Air Force base and produce sold near PFAS production plant
IKEA recalls travel mug for containing DBP
International retailer issues recall for all “Troligtvis” travel mugs made in India; recent testing finds levels of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that exceed company’s set limits; phthalates have been prohibited in all IKEA food contact articles for years
UNEP report assesses plastic packaging labels
Joint report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) maps and assesses global labeling schemes and claims related to recycling and disposal of plastic packaging; recommends global harmonization of definitions, better consideration of actual local conditions, restriction of chasing arrows symbol, labels being verified with enforcement of proper use