Topics
PFAS
July 6, 2026
European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Committee for Risk Assessment adopts opinion on trifluoroacetic acid (TFA); recommends classifying TFA as persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT), very persistent and very mobile (vPvM), and toxic to reproduction; TFA is a degradation product of other PFAS, including some used in food contact materials
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 29, 2026
Switzerland proposes amendment to align and partially go beyond EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requirements concerning PFAS in food contact materials; Swiss proposal adds PFAS limitations to empty packaging on the market; Food Packaging Forum (FPF) suggests extending amendment to include reusable food contact materials considering the scientific evidence
Topics: PFAS, Switzerland
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 21, 2026
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Human Foods Program publishes list of research, data, and methods needs; highlights knowledge gaps for food contact chemicals; includes PFAS, microplastics, and nanoparticles; Program receives $109 million increase in funding from US government
Reading time: 3 minutes
April 17, 2026
Planet Tracker scores companies, countries, and investment firms by PFAS litigation risk; composite score combines legal cases, regulatory data, independent and self-reporting of PFAS emissions; interactive dashboard supplements report; for food packaging, “a relatively small number of firms account for most high-risk facilities”
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 22, 2026
Perspective article warns PFAS phase-outs in developed regions may shift pollution to regions with weaker regulations; argues coordinated global action is needed, including broader bans, stronger regulations in developing countries, investment in infrastructure, and international collaboration
Topics: PFAS
Reading time: 3 minutes
February 26, 2026
Study analyzes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in 18 food contact materials (FCMs) before and after applying total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay; PFAS levels increased 420-fold in FCMs after TOP, highlighting the need to consider PFAS precursors in safety assessments; short-chain PFAS dominated
Topics: chemical analysis, PFAS
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 3, 2026
European Commission report estimates cost of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution based on four scenarios; completely banning PFAS by 2040 could save €110 billion; other jurisdictions also taking action to address PFAS pollution
Reading time: 4 minutes
January 26, 2026
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes new dietary guidelines for Americans; notes health risks of highly processed foods and their packaging; calls for further research to fill knowledge gaps about chemicals in food and health
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 16, 2026
Report from Systemiq evaluates health and ecological impacts of synthetic pesticides, bisphenols, phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food systems; estimates annual health and ecological costs of 3 trillion USD annually; offers measures to reduce costs by 1.9 trillion USD per year
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 29, 2025
India issues a draft regulation proposing the ban of PFAS in the manufacture of food contact materials (FCMs); also, FCMs made with polycarbonate or epoxy resins must be BPA-free; effective December 10, 2025; California requests information on p,p’-bisphenols for possible listing in Proposition 65 as toxic to reproduction; includes most common bisphenols in food packaging production; submissions open until December 1, 2025
Reading time: 2 minutes
