On May 20, 2016 the U.S. Federal Register published a notice of petition regarding the use of ortho-phthalates as indirect food additives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filed the petition on April 12, 2016 proposing to “amend and/or revoke specified regulations to no longer provide for the food contact use of specified ortho-phthalates.” The petition was originally submitted in March 2016 by U.S. environmental, consumer and public health groups Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Clean Water Action, Consumer Federation of America, Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, Improving Kids’ Environment, and Learning Disabilities Association of America (FPF reported). Comments to this petition can be submitted by July 19, 2016.
The proposed rule targets 30 ortho-phthalates for use in adhesives, resinous and polymeric coatings, resinous and polymeric coatings for polyolefin films, components of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods, components of paper and paperboard in contact with dry food, defoaming agents used in the manufacture of paper and paperboard, slimicides, acrylic and modified acrylic plastics (semirigid and rigid), cellophane, closures with sealing gaskets for food containers, melamine-formaldehyde resins in molded articles, polyester elastomers, polyester resins (cross-linked), rubber articles intended for repeated use, plasticizers in polymeric substances, or surface lubricants used in the manufacture of metallic articles.
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Tom Neltner (April 13, 2016). “FDA agrees to reconsider safety of ortho-phthalates.” EDF Health
