On September 28, 2023, the Food Packaging Forum held its 11th annual workshop under the theme of achieving safe & sustainable food packaging and assessing where we are now. Featuring a diverse range of expert speakers representing different stakeholder groups, participants heard keynote presentations on the latest science and policy, discussed key questions in break-out groups, engaged in an in-depth panel discussion on reuse, and shared their perspectives and open questions. Over 170 registered participants from more than 20 different […]
KH Food Packaging Law Seminar 2019
Keller and Heckman LLP to hold annual food packaging law seminar with China-focused pre-conference workshop in March 2019; registration now open
Different perspectives on food contact materials: Working together to make FCMs safer
The 2021 Food Packaging Forum (FPF) Workshop took place online in a virtual format on October 6-8, 2021, under the theme “Different perspectives on food contact materials: working together to make FCMs safer.” The event featured a range of high-profile speakers from different areas of expertise and provided insights into the latest science and policy-making within the field, as well as discussed how stakeholders can better work together to make food contact materials (FCMs) safer for everyone. Over 150 registered participants joined […]
EFSA/WHO report on TTC approach
A report by EFSA and WHO on the use of TTC in chemical risk assessment announces TTC ‘fit for purpose as a screening tool’; article by Chemical Watch discusses some concerns still unresolved
European FCM regulation challenged
Workshop at the European Parliament discusses several major challenges to current FCM regulation and enforcement, unites diverse stakeholders in their call for improvements
California identifies candidate substance groups
Department of Toxic Substances Control announces candidate groups of substances used in food packaging to be priority products under Safe Consumer Products program; includes BPA and alternatives, PFAS, and ortho-phthalates; two additional workshops scheduled in November and January to discuss chemicals, answer open questions
State and national governments acting on PFAS
United States Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions adds the Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act as amendment to Food and Drug Administration funding bill; if it passes, PFAS would be banned in food packaging by January 1, 2024; trade groups in US state of Maine protest PFAS notification; Belgium plans national ban on PFAS if EU does not act by 2023; Japan bans 56 PFOA-related substances; Mexico proposes PFOS, PFOA import and export restrictions
Plastics policy in the UK needs clarity and reform
Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic publish results from voluntary plastic waste audit of nearly 100,000 UK homes; finds UK households throw away nearly 100 billion pieces of plastic a year, 83% of which is from food and drinks; waste organizations within the country ask for stronger policies and more clarity on existing goals
Micro- and nanoplastics are released from different food contact articles
Researchers report cooking in non-stick Teflon cookware may lead to the release of thousands of micro- and nanoplastics; find 3 to 43 plastic particles prone to be released from Chinese polypropylene takeaway containers; detect around 1,500 microplastics/liter in Iranian bottled water; review points out that micro- and nanoplastic detection methods in food need validation and standardization
Drafting of the international plastics treaty now underway
First meeting to draft the international plastics treaty in Dakar, Senegal taking place from May 30 to June 1, 2022 with representatives from government, industry, and civil society; technical briefing on May 29, 2022 shares information on the relationship between plastics, chemical exposure, and human health