Scoping review assesses state-of-the-art of paper and cardboard food packaging safety assessment; maps sample preparation approaches, challenges, and factors influencing chemical migration; provides guidance to develop and evaluate standardized sample preparation methods
Recommendations for a circular chemical economy
Paper in Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering analyzes sources of chemical losses throughout the chemical life cycle, suggests approaches to improve chemical circularity; losses include fugitive emissions in manufacturing, dissipation in field use, impurities and regulatory incompatibility interfering with recycling; propose two changes to chemical assessments to guide sustainable production and use
Conference on chemical footprinting
BizNGO and Chemical Footprint Conference to take place on December 8-9, 2015 in Boston, MA, U.S.
Chemicals in coatings of coffee to go cups
German TV program investigates composition of plastic inner coatings of coffee to go cups; finds samples to contain diisodecyl phthalate and long-chain hydrocarbons
Compliance of FCMs in Northern Europe
Norden project on compliance of food contact materials publishes results; improved declarations of compliance needed
Scientists review state of edible films and coatings
Two new reviews investigate types, properties, and application of edible films and coatings applied on food; reuse of food waste to protect fresh food; addition of nanomaterials identified to further increase mechanical and barrier properties of edible films
Chile passes comprehensive plastics legislation
Chilean legislature unanimously passes comprehensive single-use and recycled plastics regulations; regulation bans single-use plastic use within a food establishment, compels markets and convenience stores to only sell recyclable beverage containers, beverage containers must contain plastic collected and recycled within Chile; regulations come into effect over 3 years
Scientific studies evaluate microplastic effects on human cells
Rapid review assesses microplastics impacts on human cells and reports thresholds of effects lower than previously predicted; scientific study finds polystyrene (PS) microplastics to have nephrotoxic potential; reproduction and fertility study with mice reports PS microplastics to affect females more than males
Los Angeles bans single use plastic bags
Los Angeles retailers to remove single use plastic bags by January 2014
Microplastic and pigment particles in water
Scientists detect thousands of small particles of microplastics, pigments, additives in bottled mineral water; higher particle content in reusable paper-labeled bottles; printing inks on labels identified as novel contamination source