EU Commission’s DG SANTE publishes Inception Impact Assessment as roadmap for revision of EU regulations on food contact materials; outlines eight main “issues” identified during ongoing evaluation, possible policy options to be considered by planned Impact Assessment; commenting period open until January 29, 2021
Australia publishes guidance on chemicals in food contact articles
Defines registration process for chemicals in food contact articles under new national regulatory scheme; requires additional testing of specific target organ toxicity and record-keeping of migration levels
2022 FPF Workshop: From ideas to action
In the afternoon of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss changing narratives to make information actionable, share behind-the-scenes of a reuse system running for over 80 years; panels discuss visions, obstacles for a sustainable food system
Reuse To-Go: Innovations in Takeout & Delivery
No regulation on food packaging in Australia and New Zealand
Food Standards Australia New Zealand will not regulate chemicals in food packaging, instead prepares non-regulatory guidelines with industry
Australia: Calls for nanomaterial ban in food and packaging
Australian health campaigners call for mandatory register of nanomaterials and products containing nanomaterials
Australia: Bottle deposit system
Australian state New South Wales starts 10-cent bottle deposit program in July 2017
Österreichischer Verpackungstag 2020 (Austrian Packaging Day)
Researchers detect microplastics in human semen and heart
Four recent studies assess microplastics: in human semen, heart, from baby food containers, and suitability of in vitro models to investigate human health effects; find microplastics in six out of ten semen samples, find impacts on semen quality; samples from cardiac surgery patients contain microplastics in heart and surrounding tissue; billions of nano- and microplastics released from plastic baby food containers; outline challenges and recommendation of studying plastic particles in vitro
Plastic recycling: company commitments and chemical safety challenges
Scientists report most large companies commit to reducing plastic pollution but focus on recycling; extrusion of recycled materials and legacy compounds in recycled materials as safety challenge; some substances increase others decrease with the increase in recycled content in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles; tentatively identify 212 volatile chemicals in 57 different recycled PET flakes available in China; present migration model to characterize the exposure and risk of PET oligomers