Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to hold webinar on developments in analytical and monitoring methods for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on June 11, 2020; International Life Sciences Institute (ISLI) to hold virtual symposium on scientific gaps for risk assessment of PFAS in food and food packaging on June 23, 2020
Mineral oils in Christmas chocolates
Bavarian food control authority finds MOSH and MOAH in advent calendar chocolate; Foodwatch recommends avoiding consumption of tainted products and calls for stricter regulation of mineral oils in food
Mineral oils in chocolate Santas
Foodwatch study finds typical Christmas chocolates and sweets to contain mineral oil residues; demands recall of affected products
ECHA committees reach consensus on PFHxS but not on resorcinol
Committee agrees to support Norway’s restriction proposal on manufacture and placing on the market of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and related substances; cannot reach consensus to identify resorcinol as substance of very high concern (SVHC), agree that it is endocrine disrupting under World Health Organization (WHO) definition
Plastic recycling: company commitments and chemical safety challenges
Scientists report most large companies commit to reducing plastic pollution but focus on recycling; extrusion of recycled materials and legacy compounds in recycled materials as safety challenge; some substances increase others decrease with the increase in recycled content in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles; tentatively identify 212 volatile chemicals in 57 different recycled PET flakes available in China; present migration model to characterize the exposure and risk of PET oligomers
Letter from EU Health Commissioner on FCM concerns
European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety responds to CHEM Trust regarding concerns with current EU food contact material legislation, recognizes stakeholder concerns, promises to move ahead with prioritization of harmful substances including endocrine disruptors
Update: More US states now ban PFAS in food packaging
Connecticut, Vermont, and Minnesota join set of US states that ban use of PFAS in food packaging; Vermont ban also implements a procedure for considering phase-out of bisphenols in food packaging; Minnesota bill funds study to find which products within the state contain PFAS; Governor of New Mexico call on US Environmental Protection Agency to list PFAS as hazardous waste
Coop Denmark rejects fluorinated food packaging
Coop Denmark removes microwave popcorn from shelves because packaging contains fluorinated substances
Growing demand for green chemical products
Chemical companies achieve increased profits from developing eco-friendly, healthier products
Update: India’s ban on single-use plastic items
India officially adopts Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021; bans import, manufacture, and sale of plastic candy and ice cream sticks, plates, cups, cutlery, trays, and certain wrapping films after July 1, 2022