BPA and PVC in U.S. food can coatings

New survey of food cans purchased from 4 U.S. retailers finds 33-52% to still contain bisphenol A, 17-25% contain polyvinylchloride; NGOs call on retailers and food brands to remove BPA and ensure safety of alternatives

Marketplace for chemical alternatives

Non-profit organization ChemSec launches new online resource aimed to facilitate advertising and finding commercially available substitutes to hazardous substances

EDC criteria vote postponed

EU Commission delays vote on draft criteria for identification of endocrine disrupting chemicals, scheduled to be held at the latest meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed

Tenax film for migration experiments

Scientists develop Tenax film as a more convenient alternative to Tenax powder to be used as dry foods simulant in migration experiments; migration into film is lower than into powder, offers more realistic estimation of migration into food

New plastics economy innovation prize

Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize, calls for innovators to redesign packaging to prevent plastic ocean pollution and loss of economic value

Webcasts: Six classes of hazardous chemicals

Green Science Policy Institute holds 3 webcasts about six classes of chemicals of concern in everyday products on June 22, June 29, July 6, 2017; registration now open

California sets safe level for styrene

State of California adopts No Significant Risk Level for styrene of 27 µg/day under Proposition 65; styrene exposure from polystyrene food packaging assumed to be low, likely requiring no warning label

Hazard assessment of FCM extracts

Scientists review studies on the use of select bioassays to assess hazard of food contact materials; bioassays considered a useful addition to targeted chemical analysis, especially in the assessment of finished materials and articles

New York City again bans polystyrene foam packaging

Expanded polystyrene food packaging to be banned in the City of New York effective November 13, 2017; foam recycling found not “economically feasible” or “environmentally effective”

Case study on different sets of EDC criteria

Industry-sponsored study assesses four natural substances using EU Commission’s different options for criteria to identify endocrine disruptors; highlights need for including potency considerations in EDC criteria