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EFSA working group updates in November 2020 to March 2021

Minutes from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) CEP panel and working groups on bisphenol A (BPA), food contact materials (FCMs), recycling plastics, and phthalates published; groups continue discussions and revisions of draft opinions; new working group on re-evaluation of phthalates and structurally similar substances in FCMs launched

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Concerns over mineral oils

German TV station airs report on unpublished EFSA document; toxicological consequences of mineral oil exposure allegedly exceed previous assumptions; expert recommends “drastic reduction” of exposure

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Plastic recycling: company commitments and chemical safety challenges

Scientists report most large companies commit to reducing plastic pollution but focus on recycling; extrusion of recycled materials and legacy compounds in recycled materials as safety challenge; some substances increase others decrease with the increase in recycled content in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles; tentatively identify 212 volatile chemicals in 57 different recycled PET flakes available in China; present migration model to characterize the exposure and risk of PET oligomers

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Survival of coronavirus on surfaces

Live virus particles found on frozen food packaging in China; updated questions and answers series on coronavirus published by the German Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR)

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Migration of styrene oligomers into food

German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment evaluates migration of styrene oligomers from FCMs into food simulants; finds no evidence for health risks at currently measured migration levels