European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) analyzes European RAPEX database on non-food products, finds 92% of tested and non-compliant REACH chemicals found in products were imported from outside of Europe; calls for improved enforcement and tools
Researchers detect chemicals present in and migrating from PET bottles
Two studies analyze polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chemicals; identify several volatile chemicals present in and migrating from new PET bottles as well as from bottles commercially available in Japan; develop online method for quantifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
Switzerland: 25% of PVC lid gaskets exceed plasticizer migration limits
Swiss national campaign analyses 109 oily food samples packaged in glass jars on the compliance of migration of plasticizers from their lid gaskets; comparison with European campaigns conducted a decade ago shows similar proportion of non-compliant samples with non-polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-gasket; urges food businesses to pay more attention to the suitability of their products lids
NestlĂ© & TĂśV Rheinland: “EU regulatory landscape for FCM, the latest developments and compliance process. Nestlé’s regulatory approach on Biodegradable and Compostable Materials”.
EU EDC framework coming soon
European Commission will adopt communication defining its framework on endocrine disrupters November 7, 2018
US congressional committee questions FDA about lack of action on phthalates
Letter from the US House Oversight and Reform Committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asks what steps FDA is taking to evaluate human health effects from, or to ban, phthalates in food packaging and processing materials
Opinion: Commission’s EDC criteria are illegal
Environmental law organization ClientEarth publishes legal opinion judging the European Commission’s EDC criteria non-compliant with the mandating regulations
UBA: third report on compliance of REACH registrations
German Environment Agency (UBA) examines REACH registration dossiers for medium tonnage band chemicals, finds 24% are non-compliant and 31% are too complex to determine compliance, concludes that dossier improvements may be needed
ECHA calls for comments on chlorinated paraffins
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeks information on manufacture, use, exposure, environmental release of chlorinated alkanes to inform restriction proposal; comments accepted until December 15, 2020
ENVI committee adopts resolution on chemicals strategy
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee of European Parliament passes resolution calling for upcoming chemicals strategy to fully apply precautionary and polluter-pays principles; resulting legislation should address and minimize endocrine disrupting and other hazardous chemicals in products including food packaging and recycled materials