On November 30, 2018, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) published the minutes of the third meeting of its Working Group (WG) on Phthalates which was held on November 14 and 16, 2018, by phone conference.
During the meeting, the WG discussed the comments and questions it received at the CEP Panel’s 3rd plenary meeting on October 23-25, 2018 (FPF reported). The CEP Panel had addressed “the proposed approach to establish a group-TDI [(tolerable daily intake)], the composition of the group of phthalates, [and] the identification of an index compound as reference point for a possible group-TDI.” Accordingly, the WG will update its draft scientific opinion on safety of dibutyl phthalate (DBP, CAS 84-74-2), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP, CAS 85-68-7), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, CAS 117-81-7), diisononyl phthalate (DINP, CAS 28553-12-0), and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP, CAS 26761-40-0) for use in food contact plastics. Further, the WG discussed the expert feedback it received and raised “[g]eneral considerations on the scope, content and structure of the opinion.”
In addition, two new experts joined the group to “further support the WG with both the toxicological and the exposure assessment.” Once the opinion is revised and endorsed by the CEP Panel, it will be subject to a public consultation (FPF reported).
Read more
CEP (November 30, 2018). “Minutes of the 3rd meeting of the Working Group on Phthalates.”(pdf)
