Member States vote in favor of EU Commission’s new proposal for criteria to identify endocrine disrupting pesticides; exemption for substances with intentional endocrine activity removed; NGOs criticize remaining high burden of proof
Testing for developmental neurotoxicity
Special issue of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology features 18 articles discussing alternative (non-animal) methods for assessing chemicals’ potential to harm neurodevelopment in children
RIVM: Annual report 2016 online
Dutch institute for public health and environment (RIVM) publishes annual report 2016
Food contact plastics seminar 2018
European Plastic Converters Association holds Food Contact Plastics Seminar on April 19-20, 2018 in Brussels
EEB conference 2016 report
European Environmental Bureau publishes proceedings of its 2016 annual conference; sessions addressed policy needs in circular economy and sustainability, climate and energy, and biodiversity
Several studies determine chemical migration from food packaging
Researchers from several European and Chinese institutions develop methods to explore chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs); report styrene migration from different polystyrene FCMs into several food matrices; detect photoinitiators in paper FCMs and chlorinated paraffins in green tea and its packaging; find irradiation treatment of metalized polypropylene to reduce migration of tested chemicals
Studies detect microplastics in food and link it to packaging, processing equipment
Several articles published since the beginning of 2023 have analyzed plastic particles in packaged foods and beverages, including salt, sugar, canned fish, bottled water, soft drinks, and cold tea; draw a connection to packaging and food processing; migration studies demonstrate particle release from plastic food containers and breastmilk storage bags; review develops 10 criteria for data quality assessment and find most studies “unreliable” on one or more criteria
FCM regulatory and waste management updates from South and Southeast Asia
Malaysia proposes revision of allowable uses for eleven chemicals, including seven used in food contact material (FCM) applications; Vietnam’s revised Law on Environmental Protection comes into effect, launches nationwide extended producer responsibility scheme for domestic producers and importers; Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives publishes report that chemical recycling plant in Indonesia, launched by Unilever in 2017, was “secretly shuttered” after two years; Sri Lanka proposes plastic pellets be classified as dangerous goods during maritime shipping
BfR statement on bamboo cups and tableware
German institute for risk assessment publishes position statement on melamine-formaldehyde resins, including tableware made with bamboo fibers; warns consumers against using such tableware with hot liquids; recommends lowering specific migration limit of formaldehyde in EU regulation from 15 to 6 mg/kg
BfR supports work on EDC guidance document
German Institute for Risk Assessment makes recommendations on methods to identify endocrine disruptors, supports EFSA and ECHA in developing guidance to implement EDC criteria