The Food Packaging Forum is leading a multi-partner research project on “Hazardous chemicals in plastic packaging: State of the art, prioritization, and assessment.” The project runs from 2017 until 2019.
Repercussions of PFOA at Teflon production site
Article discusses history of PFOA, focusing on environmental and public health effects, legal consequences and regulatory implications
Studies detect microplastics in food and link it to packaging, processing equipment
Several articles published since the beginning of 2023 have analyzed plastic particles in packaged foods and beverages, including salt, sugar, canned fish, bottled water, soft drinks, and cold tea; draw a connection to packaging and food processing; migration studies demonstrate particle release from plastic food containers and breastmilk storage bags; review develops 10 criteria for data quality assessment and find most studies “unreliable” on one or more criteria
New Jersey bans all carryout bags, polystyrene foam packaging
Legislature for US state of New Jersey passes bill banning both plastic and paper single-use bags, polystyrene foam food containers; plastic straw use to be limited; bill will be signed by governor and enter into force 18 months later
Dope Labs Podcast – PFAS in Food Packaging
Science podcast interviews Justin Boucher from the Food Packaging Forum on PFAS, their use in food packaging, and the regulatory and business changes underway to address increasing global concern about their impacts on health
2018 retailer ranking published
Non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families releases annual retailer report card; restaurant chains make insufficient efforts to remove hazardous chemicals from food packaging
US EPA reissues PFBS risk assessment
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) reissues risk assessment on perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS); sets reference doses for chronic exposure of 0.0003 mg/kg body weight/day and sub-chronic exposures of 0.001 mg/kg body weight/day
Unexpected SVHC phthalate metabolite found in humans, including children
German biomonitoring study finds mono-n-hexyl phthalate in majority of samples, indicating widespread exposure to substance of very high concern (SVHC) di-n-hexyl phthalate or related compounds; sources of exposure currently under investigation; contribution of food contact materials to human exposure possible, but only limited data available
PFAS in breast milk
Study shows that breast milk is major source of exposure to perfluorinated chemicals for infants; researchers express concern but do not discourage breastfeeding
2024 food contact chemical and material policy outlook
Public and political concerns related to chemical exposures, human health, and environmental pollution continue to grow; brief overview of some of the EU, US, and UN policies and projects that FPF is tracking in 2024