Silent Spring Institute publishes report investigating PFAS exposure, finds consuming home-cooked meals reduces exposure compared to restaurant consumption; U.S. state of Washington to focus on paper wraps and liners during alternatives assessment; U.S. presidential candidate pledges to label substance class as hazardous substances
Plastic straws to be banned
UK Environment Secretary pushes for ban on plastics straws; EU Commission’s vice-president says EU law on single-use plastics expected before summer 2018
12 additional substances for authorization
EU Commission announces the planned addition of 12 substances to the REACH Authorization List, set to be added in October 2019
2016 report of French nano-registry
French environment ministry publishes 2016 registrations of nanomaterials; 13,353 substances declared, slightly less than in 2015
Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards
ECHA: Cost and benefit of restricting chemicals
ECHA estimates costs of substituting chemicals of concern at €290 million per year, health benefits of over €700 million per year
Bill to require US FDA to reexamine chemicals used in food
Representative Jan Schakowsky introduces Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2021 to the United States House of Representatives; the bill would require the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regularly review the chemicals used in foods, particularly those approved through the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) rule; would establish an Office of Food Safety Reassessment and reestablish a food advisory committee
EFSA opinion on PFOA and PFOS in food
EFSA scientific opinion suggests revision of tolerable intake values for two perfluoroalkyl substances
ECHA committees agree on restriction of 4 phthalates
ECHA’s Committees for Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis support proposal to ban endocrine disrupting phthalates DEHP, DBP, DIBP, and BBP in various articles; all 4 substances relevant for food contact materials
Opinion: recycled content mandates needed
Non-profit organization Reloop comments on EU Commission’s proposal for reduction of environmental impacts of single-use plastics, calls for setting recycled content mandates, high targets for recycling of beverage bottles, EU-wide deposit-refund schemes