Topics
regulation
July 14, 2023
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) discusses gaps and inconsistencies of current FCM legislation; argues it needs reform to ensure chemical safety of products holistically; provides recommendations for improvements
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 25, 2023
China amending the national food contact material (FCM) regulation for the first time since 2016; amendments would expand use of previously approved food contact chemicals (FCCs) and food additives; redefines FCM to clarify that packaging material must contact the food item; industry association issues draft guidance; regulatory agencies approve or in process of approving multiple new FCCs
Reading time: 3 minutes
May 23, 2023
Ukraine moving to align chemical and packaging regulations with EU standards; proposes regulations to align with Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP), and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations; World Trade Organization notifications open for comment until June 19 and July 4, 2023, respectively
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 8, 2023
Technical report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) informs about “chemical-related issues of plastic pollution and options to address them”; finds 13,000 chemicals present in plastic; 7,000 have hazard data of which 3,200 are chemicals of concern; outlines chemical groups, use sectors of concern, human and ecosystem exposure, gaps and improvement options including substitution and waste management in a circular economy
Reading time: 3 minutes
April 27, 2023
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) responds to European Commission’s call for feedback on the proposed packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR); FPF highlights aspects of food packaging and chemical safety that should be included in future versions; primarily (i) considering presence of hazardous chemicals in packaging materials meant to be recycled or reused, (ii) clearly defining compostable packaging and guaranteeing safety, and (iii) defining inertness
Reading time: 3 minutes
April 14, 2023
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) details PFAS restriction proposal in webinar; consultation open until September 25, 2023
Reading time: 1 minute
April 10, 2023
Draft introduces new definitions of polymers; revises usage allowances for some substances
Reading time: 1 minute
April 3, 2023
South American trade bloc MERCOSUR is updating its standards for silicone food contact materials; includes positive lists and specific migration limits for metal salts; stakeholders can comment on the draft until May 12, 2023; Argentina and Uruguay have already notified the World Trade Organization of impending changes
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 6, 2023
Review summarizes chemicals present in and migrating from food contact articles made with wood, bamboo, and other plant-based materials; researchers identify and quantify 25 non-volatile compounds from bamboo, palm leaf, wood and wheat pulp dishes; tentatively identify 115 non-volatile chemicals in extracts from six plant fiber/plastic composites; detect phthalates in Brazilian dry foods in cellulose-based packaging
Reading time: 7 minutes
January 26, 2023
In an opinion piece published in Waste Management scientists emphasize there is no universal biodegradability of plastics in any ecosystem; waste collection systems need adaptation and toxicity testing improvements; experimental study finds leachates of biodegradable plastic items affect mussel early embryo stages development and adult physiological parameters
Reading time: 4 minutes
