Topics
chemical analytics
January 22, 2026
Scientists analyze 247 thermal food labels from 15 countries; report bisphenol S (BPS) in 48% of samples, replacing bisphenol A (BPA, 2% of samples); identify new alternatives; show film materials influence color developer migration from label into food: increased for polyvinyl chloride
Reading time: 3 minutes
May 15, 2025
Review from the Nordic Council of Ministers assesses use of non-target screening (NTS) or suspect screening (SS) to identify chemicals relevant for regulatory action; evaluates 38 relevant documents for chemicals identified and study reliability; outlines current challenges of NTS and SS for chemical screening and regulation; recommends using only for early warning purposes until limitations are overcome
Topics: chemical analytics, regulation
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 10, 2025
Scientists analyze a diversity of food samples available on the Belgian market for the presence of 110 printing ink and adhesive chemicals; detect target compounds in 39 out of 52 samples; chemicals include suspect carcinogen and caprolactam above legislative limit; while there is no European printing ink regulation, national positive lists exist for Switzerland and Germany
Reading time: 3 minutes
February 6, 2025
January 2025 Policy Brief from the Modernizing Hazardous Chemicals Project outlines current challenges with chemical assessment in the EU; proposes new indicators for hazardous substances; makes recommendations to the European Commission
Reading time: 4 minutes
October 24, 2024
Scientists compile database on chemical features associated with plastic food packaging; comprises 2101 features compiled from scientific literature and own non-targeted analysis; of the 2101, 30% were found to migrate from 106 food packaging samples and approximately 78% detected in human serum samples
Reading time: 3 minutes
October 10, 2024
Analysis of black plastic household products in the US finds flame retardants in 85% of bromine-positive samples; including food contact kitchen utensils and toys; authors link e-waste as a source; call for ban of harmful chemical additives through the Plastics Treaty
Reading time: 3 minutes
June 27, 2024
Recent studies explore the presence and migration of diverse synthetic antioxidants in Chinese food contact materials (FCMs); both phosphite antioxidants and synthetic phenolic antioxidants are commonly found; typically, FCMs contain several mg of synthetic antioxidants per kg FCM and may be the primary source of exposure to synthetic antioxidants; some commonly found antioxidants are suspected endocrine disruptors
Reading time: 4 minutes
November 23, 2023
119 plastic samples including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tested for mutagenicity; no DNA-reactive, mutagenic substances in PET but in 51 of the other samples, making them unsafe, especially for food contact applications; recycling process identified as source; dataset of over 600 organic chemicals in recycled high-density PE pellets published
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 10, 2023
Scientists find cyclic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) oligomers migrate into fatty food simulants but not olive oil; levels higher from recycled compared to virgin PET; comprehensive extraction and migration experiments of Tritan™ products find oligomer migration from bottles of no toxicological concern but microwaveable containers were non-suitable for food heating
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 4, 2023
Studies analyze biodegradable – including compostable – plastics for their in vitro toxicity and chemical composition; comparison with conventional plastics indicates higher toxicity of compostables which further increases with photodegradation and composting; detect brominated flame retardants in “biodegradable”-labeled food packaging
Reading time: 3 minutes
