Non-governmental organization emphasizes five important aspects for the European Commission to consider when developing chemical strategy; includes creating industry incentives, focusing on hazards from intrinsic chemical properties, supply chain transparency, and closing regulatory gaps
Guidance on barrier bags
Swiss Packaging Institute publishes new guidance document on barriers for inner bags of recycled cartons; sets benchmark for barrier efficiency to ensure minimal migration of unwanted chemicals from carton into food
EFSA working group on FCMs: 20th meeting
Updated meeting minutes of EFSA’s CEF Panel working group on FCMs now available online
UK recognizes importance of grouping PFAS
UK environmental minister identifies the need to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a group, included in response to a letter sent earlier by civil society organizations to UK agencies calling for PFAS restrictions in food packaging
Micro- and nanoplastics are released from different food contact articles
Researchers report cooking in non-stick Teflon cookware may lead to the release of thousands of micro- and nanoplastics; find 3 to 43 plastic particles prone to be released from Chinese polypropylene takeaway containers; detect around 1,500 microplastics/liter in Iranian bottled water; review points out that micro- and nanoplastic detection methods in food need validation and standardization
P&P: Regulatory updates
Global regulatory updates presented at Smithers Pira 2016 P&P conference: final U.S. FDA guidance on FCMs for infant products expected, China updates its FCM regulation
Strict rules under new German packaging law
Germany’s new packaging law establishes mandatory central packaging registry, imposes fines and prohibition in sales for non-compliance
EFSA recycling plastics group: 6th meeting
EFSA’s CEP Panel’s working group on recycling plastics 2018-2021 continues discussing draft scientific opinions on several plastic recycling processes; minutes of the 6th meeting now available online
AOPs in Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment
OECD publishes guidance on the use of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) in developing Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA); AOPs to support chemical grouping, development of models, test methods, and testing strategies, and interpretation of test results
New infographics on EDCs
Health and Environment Alliance releases infographics on endocrine disrupting chemicals, focuses on the need to accommodate low dose effects and science advances into risk assessment