On March 1, 2016 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific opinion identifying substances from the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) “for which the most severe exposure threshold value (i.e. 0.15 µg/person/day) is applicable.” The European Commission (EC) instructed EFSA’s Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF Panel) to do so in order to provide supplementary information on its 2015 opinion on two post-consumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE) recycling processes to be used for food contact materials (FCMs). In February 2015, the CEF Panel had concluded that additional data is required to finalize its safety assessment of HDPE recycling processes ‘Biffa Polymers’ and ‘CLRrHDPE’ “for the manufacture of recycled bottles for milks and fruit juices and trays for animal products” (FPF reported). The CEF Panel identified 143 substances of the 1,547 substances currently included in the CPDB which are of particular concern below an intake level of 0.0025 µg/kg body weight/day (based on an adult weighing 60 kg). The CEF Panel notes that this is not an exhaustive list as only substances in the CPDB were considered. Further, the CEF Panel emphasizes that this opinion does not impact the risk assessment approach or the conclusions of its opinion on the two HDPE recycling processes for use in FCMs.

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CEF (March 1, 2016). “Identification of the substances from the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) which are of particular concern even if ingested at doses below 0.0025 µg/kg body weight per day.

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