Topics
paper and board
April 20, 2026
The paper and board food contact materials (FCMs) regulation will go into effect in 2027; increases chemical safety controls for food contact paper and board; aligns standards with Europe
Topics: paper and board, Thailand
Reading time: 1 minute
March 10, 2026
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) urges innovation in paper-based materials to replace items like wrappers and sachets; outlines six criteria to avoid regrettable substitution, including avoiding hazardous substances
Topics: paper and board
Reading time: 1 minute
March 5, 2026
Thai Food and Drug Administration publishes proposed updates for regulation of food contact ceramics and new regulations for metals, glass, and paper and board; proposal rarely outlines exact migration limits, instead referencing official Thai standards to avoid future regulator involvement
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 12, 2025
Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) updates specifications to add paper cups as items that can be commonly accepted in residential recycling in US and elsewhere; change could expand paper recycling collection and sales; local acceptance still depends on individual programs’ capabilities
Topics: paper and board, recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
June 12, 2025
India accepting comments on revised guide of suitability of plastics for packaging guide, approves recycled PET for food contact; Indonesia mandating new paper and paperboard standard, updated FCM regulation published; new law in Singapore streamlines FCM regulations; Thailand plans to regulate food contact paper, bans plastic waste imports
Reading time: 3 minutes
April 18, 2024
Study of bio-based food contact articles made of sugarcane bagasse or cellulose wood pulp labelled “natural”, “compostable”, or “biodegradable” finds PFAS and organophosphate esters (OPEs), a type of flame retardant and plasticizer; concentrations highest in baking papers; though purchased in Italy, some OPEs above EU regulatory concentration limit of 0.01 mg/kg
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 20, 2024
Dossier discusses potentially misleading "eco-friendly" claims on paper and board packaging, plastic coatings are often used for functionalization: e.g., durability, grease-, water-, and gas -resistance; some alternatives exist but are not yet widely adopted or approved for food contact; recommends prioritizing reusable packaging and enforcing policy changes to eliminate PFAS and misleading marketing claims
Topics: paper and board, recycling
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 6, 2023
17 uncoated food contact paperboard samples from Chinese companies studied; 344 volatile organic compounds detected including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, ethers, esters, alkanes, and aromatic compounds plus 66 key odor compounds; 5 substances highlighted
Topics: chemicals, paper and board
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 8, 2023
Department of Food Technology and Quality Control in Nepal announces that newsprint will soon be banned as street food packaging to limit harmful chemicals in food
Reading time: 1 minute
September 15, 2022
Confederation of Paper Industries, publishes guide for packaging designers to increase recyclability of paper products; to improve recycling quality, suggests limiting laminates, coatings, inks, varnishes, and adhesives to no more than 10% of pack weight, aspirational goal of 5%; standard paper mills cannot process much laminate, e.g. coffee cups, cold cups, beverage cartons
Reading time: 3 minutes
