Study carried out by Defend Our Health detects antimony above safe levels in 40% of tested beverages sold in PET bottles; antimony widely used as a catalyst to produce PET; calls on manufacturers to switch to widely available safer chemical alternatives, address the numerous hazardous substances that can migrate from plastics into food, chemical pollution in communities surrounding production sites
EU Parliament comments on EFSA’s independence policy
European Parliament criticizes EFSA’s draft independence policy; calls on EFSA to introduce comprehensive cooling-off period for experts, consider research funding among assessed interests, apply policy consistently to all staff
U.S. hearing on international cancer research agency
U.S. Congress hearing on International Agency on the Research for Cancer addresses future funding; critics question agency’s scientific integrity; defenders talk of industry-lead campaign to discredit IARC’s monographs on carcinogens program
EU Commission solicits feedback on food irradiation
Public comment period opens on ongoing evaluation of EU legislation related to irradiation of food and food ingredients; comments accepted until May 25, 2020
EU Commission organizes conference on EDCs
One-day conference to take place on June 1, 2015 in Brussels
EU Court of Justice: no DEHP in recycled PVC
EU Court of Justice’s General Advocate recommends ban on bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in recycled polyvinyl chloride (PVC); previous decision considered inadequate as it disregards endocrine disrupting properties of DEHP; NGO criticizes REACH lacking necessary tools to manage recycled materials
EU Parliament debates EDCs
Scientific criteria for endocrine disrupting chemicals will be out before the summer 2016, says EU Commissioner during plenary debate
Associations report European packaging recycling rates
Industry associations report recycling rates of packaging materials in Europe; average collection rate of glass bottles and jars hit 80% in 2020; paper packaging recycling over 80%; paper recycling rates close to theoretical maximum; plastic recycling has not increased despite increased demand by beverage companies; two-thirds of plastic-packaging pledges in Europe failed, supporting the change away from single-use likely necessary
How to ensure and demonstrate compliance for food contact materials (FCMs) in Europe
EFSA report: Human risk assessment for combined exposure
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes technical report outlining low tier risk assessment methodology for multiple regulated compounds with non-cancer effects; implements EFSA’s MIXTOX guidance document