On October 5, 2017, the Food Packaging Forum (FPF) held its fifth public workshop in Zurich, Switzerland, addressing “Scientific challenges in the risk assessment of food contact materials.” Over 90 participants, representing the food industry, the chemical industry, packaging manufacturers, retailers, trade associations, environmental, health and consumer organizations, testing laboratories, academia, authorities, and consultancies, gathered to exchange views on the chemical safety of food contact materials (FCMs) and share the latest scientific findings and challenges.
The morning session focused on toxicological assessments and migration testing (FPF reported), and also featured a philosophical excursion into value judgments in science (FPF reported). The afternoon session opened with a talk on the reform of FCM legislation in China (FPF reported). Further, three speakers with different backgrounds reported on risk communication, the role of third-party testing labs, and regulatory updates. The speakers then joined a podium discussion on the safety of FCMs in a global economy, focusing mainly on communication and transparency issues (FPF reported).
The video recordings and presentation slides of the workshop are now available online. Next year’s workshop will take place on October 4, 2018 in Zurich, Switzerland.
