Topics
regulation
February 17, 2026
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia announces gradual ban on single-use plastic for food contact; by February 1, 2027, sale of food packaged in or served on plastic will be prohibited; like Canada, exempts production of plastic food contact materials for export
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 28, 2026
Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) publishes study on sustainability of food contact materials (FCMs) in light of planned revision of current EU FCM legislation; identifies seven severe sustainability problems with current FCMs; outlines four policy measures that could address gaps within ongoing EU FCM legislation
Reading time: 5 minutes
November 20, 2025
Science policy brief argues that current chemical regulation on single substances underestimates real-world combined chemical exposure and risk; calls for mitigating risks of chemical mixtures by integrating Mixture Allocation Factor (MAF) in revision of EU’s REACH regulation; proposes starting with MAF of five
Topics: mixture toxicity, regulation
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 31, 2025
New food contact materials (FCMs) are constantly being developed to address health and environmental concerns. This background article explores: What can be considered novel? Where do the research and regulations stand? What are questions innovators and their investors might want to consider before scaling up?
Reading time: 16 minutes
October 21, 2025
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comments on Switzerland’s draft amendments to the Ordinance on the Prevention and Disposal of Waste, and new Regulation on Packaging; FPF welcomes progress but identifies evidence-based need for clearer prioritization of reuse over recycling, stronger chemical safety, and closer alignment with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
Reading time: 4 minutes
September 12, 2025
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority issues draft food contact material (FCM) regulation; includes mandatory requirements for all FCMs, any standards not specified by Bangladesh should follow standards from Codex Alimentarius Commission, the US, or EU; enforcement likely in 2026
Topics: Bangladesh, regulation
Reading time: 2 minutes
September 4, 2025
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) updates PFAS restriction proposal following public consultation; does not include major exceptions or derogations regarding food contact materials; aims to complete scientific evaluation of proposal by the end of 2026; to be submitted to the European Commission in 2027
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 30, 2025
Scientists outline why using a hazard-based approach would be an efficient, simple, and fit-for-purpose method for identifying plastic chemicals of concern under the forthcoming Global Plastics Treaty; highlight that a risk-based approach would result in costly delays, complications, and uncertainties in identifying chemicals of concern, due to the large number of chemicals, the variable composition of plastics between applications, and the lack of transparency and analytical standards
Reading time: 4 minutes
July 17, 2025
Changes in the deposit return schemes in Ireland, Moldova, and Romania; modification in single-use plastic fees in Germany and the Netherlands; food contact material regulation updates in Denmark and Switzerland; and other news from the Nordic Council of Ministers, Iceland, Portugal, and the UK
Topics: Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, regulation, Romania, single-use plastics, Switzerland, UK
Reading time: 7 minutes
July 11, 2025
About one third of US states have taken regulatory action pertaining to food contact chemicals, materials, and/or articles in 2025; predominantly (i) phase-outs of PFAS in packaging and cookware, (ii) bans on polystyrene foam and other single-use food-service plastics, and (iii) extended-producer-responsibility (EPR) bills covering packaging
Reading time: 9 minutes
