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FPF comments on US EPA draft plastics strategy

Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comment to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the draft national strategy to prevent plastic pollution; FPF highlights aspects of food packaging and chemical safety for EPA to consider; primarily (i) how the EPA may be able to support reuse, (ii) encouraging ratification of the Basel Convention; (iii) clarifying “compostable” and “inert”; strategy comment period extended to July 31, 2023

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EU policymakers push to address PPWR sticking points during final negotiations

Looming March 4th deadline pressures EU institutions to find agreement on open points within the draft Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR); steering note from Belgian presidency calls for compromises, highlights key topics; stakeholders express concerns over draft regulation’s lightweighting of materials, requirement for closed loop recycling processes, and handling of chemical safety

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FPF submits feedback on packaging and packaging waste regulation

Food Packaging Forum (FPF) responds to European Commission’s call for feedback on the proposed packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR); FPF highlights aspects of food packaging and chemical safety that should be included in future versions; primarily (i) considering presence of hazardous chemicals in packaging materials meant to be recycled or reused, (ii) clearly defining compostable packaging and guaranteeing safety, and (iii) defining inertness

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Behind the barrier: Complex reality of paper and board packaging functionalization

Dossier discusses potentially misleading “eco-friendly” claims on paper and board packaging, plastic coatings are often used for functionalization: e.g., durability, grease-, water-, and gas -resistance; some alternatives exist but are not yet widely adopted or approved for food contact; recommends prioritizing reusable packaging and enforcing policy changes to eliminate PFAS and misleading marketing claims

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PAAs in colored paper napkins

Scientists analyze primary aromatic amines in colored paper napkins from Europe; find sum PAA concentrations exceeding 10 µg/L limit, carcinogenic PAAs exceeding 2 µg/L limit; red, orange, yellow, and multi-colored napkins with highest load

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EFSA CEP Panel updates from November 2021 to April 2022

Minutes available from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, phthalates, and extraction solvents

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PFAS testing prompts packaging changes from US retailers, restaurants

Consumer Reports tests 118 food packaging products from 24 US fast food and grocery chains; finds PFAS in over half of the products; nearly one third of packaging products contain over 20 ppm and 22 over 100 ppm organic fluorine; several brands commit or re-commit to removing intentionally added PFAS from their packaging