European Commission publishes strategy aiming to change how Europeans value food sustainability; confirms that current EU regulations on food contact materials (FCMs) will be revised to reduce use of hazardous chemicals and support re-usable packaging solutions; proposed revision to be released end of 2022
Study ignores other risk factors for preterm births
ACC responds to study linking phthalate exposure to preterm births, criticizes exclusion of other risk factors and limited sample size
Behind the Label
Environmental Defense Fund initiative Behind the Label supports businesses to remove chemicals of concern from consumer products
Unknowns about drinking water pipes
Ensia article informs about plastic water piping material PEX; discusses what is known and unknown about the material’s composition and what leaches out into water
Analysis of properties of nanoclay platelets in FCM
Physical and toxicological properties of nanoclay platelets in polyactic acid (PLA) food contact materials
REACH not able to identify EDCs, recommendations for improvement
Danish Minister for the Environment submits input for the REACH review on EDCs to Danish parliament, report suggests inclusion of further endpoints and adding of dose levels
ToxCast assays need improving
New study shows the ability of ToxCast assays to predict obesogens is unreliable; senior researcher comments on features in need of improvement
ECHA to develop positive list for drinking water contact
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) tasked with creating list of substances approved for use in materials that contact drinking water; first draft expected to contain 1,500 substances, be adopted by 2024; substance approval will be time limited and subject to reassessment
PEF: New food contact polymer on the horizon
Polyethylene furanoate (PEF) set to take PET market share, approval for food contact use pending
Assessment of migration of estrogen active chemicals from FCMs
Identification of estrogen active chemicals in plastic food contact materials