The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Scientific Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) “evaluates the safety of chemical substances added to food or used in food packaging, and related processes. The Panel’s work mainly concerns substances and processes evaluated by EFSA before their use can be authorized in the EU.” Working groups within the Panel focus on particular issues that the Panel and EFSA are tasked with evaluating.
Working group on food contact materials
The panel reviews draft opinions on new food contact materials and chemicals at each meeting, as well as on how applications submitted to EFSA will be reviewed after the implementation of the transparency regulation. During the 29th and 30th meetings of the working held in May and July 2022, the group discussed EFSA’s approaches to safety assessments of compounds and mixtures of natural origin (e.g. packaging made of coffee bean shells or with ground sunflower seed hulls); information received from businesses following a call for data on certain substances; and the revision of the food contact material (FCM) legislation.
Working group on BPA re-evaluation (WG-BPA)
There were three meetings of the working group on bisphenol A (BPA, 80-05-7). The primary activity in these meetings was the continued discussion of how to answer comments received during the public consultation on the draft opinion to lower the tolerable daily intake of BPA (FPF reported). In particular, “the approach for re-evaluating the Uncertainty Analysis was proposed and agreed by the WG” as well as beginning to revise the draft opinion.
Working group on recycling plastic (WG-RP)
There were three meetings of the WG-RP. As always, the majority of the meetings were dedicated to reviewing plastic recycling processes for food contact. Reviewed processes included technologies for flexible plastics, polypropylene crates recycled in closed-loop, and mechanically recycled high-density polyethylene. The group spoke with members of Directorate General (DG) Sante and the EFSA Recycling Working Group to discuss “regulatory developments on plastic recycling” such as the recently released recycled plastic FCM legislation (FPF reported).
Working group on preparation for re-evaluation of phthalates, structurally similar substances, and replacement substances
Recent meetings of this working group have focused on reviewing and responding to comments received during the public consultation on the “draft protocol for the hazard assessment as part of the risk assessment of phthalates, structurally similar substances and replacement substances potentially used as plasticizers in materials and articles intended to come into contact with food” that closed on July 5, 2022 (FPF reported). The Food Packaging Forum was one of the organizations to comment (FPF reported).
References
EFSA CEP Panel. “Minutes of the meetings of the working group on food contact materials 2018-2024.” (pdf)
EFSA CEP Panel. “Minutes of the meetings of the working group on BPA re-evaluation.” (pdf)
EFSA CEP Panel. “Minutes of the meetings of the working group on recycling plastics 2018-2024.” (pdf)
EFSA CEP Panel. “Minutes of the meetings of the working group on preparation for re-evaluation of phthalates, structurally similar substances and replacement substances.” (pdf)
EFSA CEP Panel. “Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids.”
