ILSI North America holds first public food packaging conference; several FDA speakers shared updates from ongoing work in pre- and post-market FCM risk assessment
Can coatings
Metal cans are coated to protect the cans from degrading due to chemical reactions with the food. Coatings also prevent unwanted chemical interactions in the food, caused by migrating metal ions. In this dossier, we provide information on different types of can coatings for direct food contact. Further, the toxicity and exposure assessment of chemicals migrating from can coatings, as well as the regulatory background, are also addressed.
Taiwan: Guidelines on nanomaterials in food packaging
Taiwanese Food and Drug Administration issues new guidelines for use of nanomaterials in food packaging; safety assessment and pre-market approval required
EPA: Priority substances for TSCA evaluation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prioritizes 20 substances to undergo risk evaluation according to Toxic Substances Control Act; list includes several solvents, phthalates, flame retardants, chemical intermediates with food contact relevance; public consultation now open
Canada working towards zero plastic waste
Canadian government plans to establish federal plastics registry and release regulatory framework for plastic packaging; aim to improve knowledge of plastic waste, value recovery, and pollution; measures are open for comment until May 18, 2023; NGO urges government to expand ban on non-recyclable plastic packaging and take further action.
Criteria to evaluate non-standard studies
Swedish scientists develop criteria for non-standard in vivo studies; allows for inclusion of all relevant data in chemical risk assessment
EFSA to meet member states’ experts on BPA
On the 29 and 30 October EFSA will meet national experts to discuss information on previous and ongoing work on the safety assessment of bisphenol A
Weight-of-evidence approach and PBT/vPvB assessment
ECETOC reviews weight-of-evidence based identification of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, or very persistent/very bioaccumulative substances; focus on relevant chemicals
Too little regulatory follow-up in REACH
Report by NGO European Environmental Bureau finds over 70% of substances with completed REACH evaluations demonstrating concern for human health or the environment have not yet received any regulatory follow-up to manage risks
U.S. Right-to-Know Act to include nonylphenol category
U.S. EPA proposes adding nonylphenol to Right-to-Know Toxic Chemical Release Reporting