Calls for ‘one substance – one hazard assessment’ principle, specific provisions for endocrine disrupting chemicals in food contact materials to be treated similar to substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction
Label for ‘plastic-free’ food packaging
Campaign group introduces product label for ‘plastic-free’ food and drink packaging; retailers Iceland and Ekoplaza, tea brand teapigs to adopt label
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
Lower PAH concentrations recommended
German Federal Office for Risk Assessment (BfR) recommending polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration of < 0.2 mg/kg in consumer products; criteria to inform voluntary safety standard
Barbecuing chicken on beer cans is risky
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment advises against beer chicken, migration of printing inks and coatings
Perchlorate found on European fruit and vegetables
German TV channel analyzes European food samples for chemical contaminant perchlorate, authorized for food contact in the US
EFSA stakeholder workshop on small particles and nanoparticles in food
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) presentations provide guidance on small particles in food and feed applications (i) evaluating the potential presence of particles in ‘conventional’ materials and (ii) how to perform nano-specific risk assessment; stakeholders share experience and discuss practices to implement guidance cost-effectively
Solar Impulse solutions label
Solar Impulse Foundation to select 1000 solutions that protect the environment; develops label to recognize efficient solutions, launches website focused on plastic pollution
EFSA updates HBCDDs risk assessment
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes update on risk assessment of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs); results support conclusion that dietary exposure in EU not a health concern except for breastfed children; panel will consider mixture approach once risk assessments of all groups of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) updated
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) for risk assessment of food contact material chemicals
The Threshold of Toxicological Concern, short TTC, is a concept for assessing the risk of single chemical exposure to human health. It establishes generic exposure thresholds based on chemical structure below which chemicals are assumed to be safely used. In the absence of toxicological data, regulators, academic scientists and industry experts are using the TTC to perform chemical risk assessments. On October 17, 2013 the Food Packaging Forum held a workshop offering a platform for balanced information and scientific debate […]