Topics
food packaging
April 9, 2021
Zero Waste Europe announces publication of nine factsheets as part of the UNWRAPPED Project; developed to help communicate human health risks associated with chemicals in food packaging; experts call for industry and policymakers to limit single-use packaging, take precautionary approach towards hazardous chemicals in food packaging
Reading time: 1 minute
March 30, 2021
Article in PLOS Biology discusses hazardous chemicals in plastics; highlights chemicals as critical but often missing aspect in plastic pollution discussion; proposes rethinking current approach to plastic packaging toxicity testing
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 29, 2021
Journalist from The Guardian tests household items and his own blood for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and the Silent Spring Institute; analysis confirms presence of four types of PFAS in blood serum, 15 household products, food packaging and cookware; identified substances include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHxS)
Topics: food packaging, PFAS
Reading time: 1 minute
March 25, 2021
US state governor passes legislation banning polystyrene foam food packaging partially by 2023 and fully by 2025; sets penalty of $50 a day, civil organizations to be exempted; signed executive order regulating phase-out of non-reusable plastics from public institutions by July 21, 2021
Reading time: 1 minute
March 24, 2021
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes administrative guide on submitting applications for approval of substances to be used in plastic food contact materials (FCMs); describes procedures, timelines for handling applications; will be updated as necessary
Reading time: 1 minute
March 11, 2021
Consultancy McKinsey & Company presents results from survey on consumers’ attitudes towards packaging and concerns around sustainability in ten emerging markets; finds greatest consumer concern in China, India and Indonesia; suggests as first action to decrease packaging complexity, reduce unnecessary packaging, exchange multi- with mono-layer materials
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 5, 2021
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 18 new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS)
Topics: FDA, food packaging
Reading time: 3 minutes
March 1, 2021
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes statement that proclaims no scientific evidence for SARS-CoV-2 transmission via contaminated food or food packaging
Reading time: 1 minute
February 26, 2021
European Commission (EC) policy officer discusses benefits of revising Article 3 of existing food contact material (FCM) Regulation 1935/2004, suggests this would ensure ‘future-proof’ legislation; alternative approaches being considered based on amending existing legislation; considers fee for chemical assessment and market surveillance
Reading time: 1 minute
February 24, 2021
National Health Commission announces approval of two additives, three additives with expanded scope, one new food contact resin
Reading time: 1 minute
