On October 24, 2019, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) held a webinar presenting the first findings from its evaluation of food packaging being completed under its Safer Consumer Products legislation that aims to “reduce toxic chemicals in the products that consumers buy and use” (FPF reported). Specifically, the legislation is set to identify products containing potentially harmful chemicals and ask manufacturers to confirm if the chemical is necessary and if a safer alternative exists. During the webinar, news provider Chemical Watch reported that the DTSC announced its intent to focus on three candidate chemical groups used in food packaging that are in need of further research or input from stakeholders: bisphenol A (CAS 80-05-7) and its alternatives (which includes bisphenol F, bisphenol S, and bisphenol AF), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and ortho-phthalates. Documents related to the webinar are set to be posted on the DTSC’s site shortly.

To continue work on these candidate groups, DTSC has recently scheduled two additional events. The first is focused on “Ortho-phthalates and Bisphenol A and their Alternatives in Food Packaging” and will take place on November 19, 2019 in the form of both a workshop and live webinar at 09:00 PST. Registration is open, and background documents on ortho-phthalates and bisphenol A have been made available ahead of the event. On January 14, 2020, the organization will host a workshop and webinar on “Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and their Alternatives in Food Packaging.” Registration is open, and a background document on PFAS has been made available.

Update (November 11, 2019): The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) will also be hosting a webinar on November 15, 2019 titled “Public Health Goal Initiation Webinar: PFOA and PFOS Toxicity and Epidemiology Data” to to allow the public to learn “about the toxicological and epidemiological data for evaluating the health risks of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).” The agenda and registration for the webinar are available.

Read More

DTSC (October 2019). “Safer Consumer Products Workshops & Events.”

OEHHA (November 6, 2019). “Public Health Goal Initiation Webinar: PFOA and PFOS Toxicity and Epidemiology Data.”

Lisa Martine Jenkins (October 30, 2019). “California narrows field of food contact substances for possible SCP action.” Chemical Watch

Keller and Heckman LLP (October 30, 2019). “CA Considering Prioritization of Otho-phthalates, BPA, and PFAS in Food Packaging.”

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