New studies presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine annual meeting: BPA linked to miscarriages, phthalates to lower male fecundity
Court confirms BPA classification as a substance of very high concern
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and ClientEarth win appeal case brought by lobby group PlasticsEurope; EU Court of Justice confirms ECHA listing of bisphenol A (BPA) as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) due to its endocrine-disrupting properties for humans; PlasticsEurope cannot appeal again
Antiandrogenic chemicals in food
Scientists review food components and contaminants that can act as (anti)androgens; in vitro-based computational model for interactions with androgen receptor identifies active chemicals in ToxCast dataset
DG SANCO meets FCM stakeholders
European Commission’s DG SANCO convenes food contact material (FCM) stakeholders, discloses modified working plan for 2014
Opinion: EU Commission’s secrecy on FCMs
Non-profit organization CHEM Trust criticizes EU Commission’s “secretive and industry-focused” approach to regulating food contact materials, requests more transparency and involvement of public interest groups
Analysis finds pesticides, PFAS in plant-based packaging
EU consumer groups find chemicals of concern above recommended limits in single-use tableware made of molded plant fiber or palm leaf, and paper straws; of 57 sampled items, 53% have chemical concentrations above recommended limits, including 100% of molded plant-fiber plates and bowls; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in 66% of articles, pesticide residues in 28%; argues EU must create chemical regulations for non-plastic single-use food packaging
Soil microbes eat biodegradable plastic
Swiss and Austrian researchers show that soil microorganisms fully metabolize biodegradable polymer polybutylene adipate terephthalate; European Bioplastics deems doubts about biodegradable plastics clarified
US FDA: Searchable food code database
US FDA releases new Food Code Reference System, answers questions on food safety in the food retail and service sector
Tox 21 to increase chemical safety
Director of the Hamner Institute proposes pragmatic approach to increase chemical safety
US State bans triclosan
Minnesota bans anti-bacterial chemical from most retail consumer hygiene products; triclosan also used in food packaging