Discount retailers pushed to act on harmful chemicals

Center for Environmental Health and Campaign for Healthier Solutions urge U.S. discount retailers to take action on fluorinated chemicals in microwave popcorn bags

New report on single-use plastic and food waste

Report by Friends of the Earth Europe, Zero Waste Europe, Rethink Plastic Alliance finds single-use plastic packaging not effective at reducing food waste, proposes solutions to cut both plastic and food waste

RIVM: Dietary exposure to BPA ‘very limited’

Dutch institute for public health studies national population’s exposure to bisphenol A from food, finds total intake well below tolerable daily intake, shows no single food source contributes mainly to exposure

Restaurant food likely source of phthalate exposure

New study evaluates NHANES data and finds link between food consumption at restaurants, cafeterias, fast-food outlets and increased urinary phthalate levels

Mineral oils and heavy metals in dark chocolate

Danish consumer council finds cadmium, lead, mineral oils, polyaromatic hydrocarbons in dark chocolate; 5 of 12 tested brands with elevated levels

Action needed on phthalates in food

Article in Environmental Health News highlights growing consumer concern about phthalates and other chemicals in food; action expected to happen in the marketplace

Symposium on challenges in risk assessment

BfR, NIFDS, ANSES and DTU host joint international symposium on risk assessment and consumer health protection, November 30-December 1, 2017 in Berlin; registration open until November 24, 2017

EFSA: Dietary exposure to perchlorate

EFSA publishes assessment report on human dietary exposure to perchlorate; younger population shows higher exposure levels than older population

Dissolvable milk pods for coffee

German researchers develop dissolvable, single-serve milk and sugar capsules for hot drinks as alternative to coffee creamers packaged in small plastic containers

Lead in U.S. baby food

New study by Environmental Defense Fund finds U.S. baby foods more frequently contaminated with lead than regular non-baby foods, urges FDA and manufacturers to reduce children’s exposure to lead