In an article published on December 19, 2019, by Chemical Watch, editor Andrew Turley informed that “the European Commission has said it will ask the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to conduct another risk assessment of phthalates in plastic food contact materials (FCMs).” The announcement was made during the 11th plenary meeting of the EFSA’s Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP), which took place on December 10-12, 2019, in Parma, Italy. However, according to Turley, EFSA has not yet received any official mandate.
An update of EFSA’s 2005 risk assessment for these substances has just been published earlier this month (FPF reported). This updated assessment relied only on reproductive or liver toxicity endpoints to set the tolerable daily intake (TDI) levels for the five evaluated phthalates. Other endpoints, although potentially more sensitive, were not considered due to the lack of time and/or data. Jane Muncke from the Food Packaging Forum said that “it will be important for the new assessment to consider, in particular, neurological and metabolic toxicology” of phthalates. She also pointed out that “there is a lack of information about where and how these substances are used in FCMs.”
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Andrew Turley (December 19, 2019). “EFSA to look again at phthalates in plastic FCMs.” Chemical Watch
EFSA (December 10, 2019). “11th plenary meeting of the CEP Panel – open for observers.”
