National Health Commission publishes draft amendment to standard on uses of additives in food contact materials (FCMs) and articles; includes correction about specific migration limits of certain chemicals
Packaging stakeholder guidance on converting to reuse, using safer additives
Sustainable Packaging Coalition publishes guidance for converting to refillable or returnable packaging systems; CHEM Forward releases tool to help identify safer additives to use in plastic packaging
UV-328 elimination proposal gaining global attention
Stockholm Convention proposal to eliminate use of UV-328 as plastic additive receives pushback from oil and chemical manufacturers; process preparing for draft risk profile discussion at upcoming January 2022 meeting
Experts call for ban of new biodegradability promoting additives
Food packaging experts call for banning a new group of biodegradability promoting additives used in food packaging, cite concerns over uncontrollable degradation, migration of and human exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals; finds them distracting from real solutions such as new business models incorporating reuse
UN urges removing hazardous additives in plastics
Report by United Nations’ regional center investigates presence of toxic substances added into plastics; identifies key chemical classes and product categories of concern; calls for redesigning materials, transparent ingredient labelling, increased producer responsibility
HEAL report on hazardous chemicals in plastics
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) publishes overview report on plastic types, additives, and associated health impacts; illustrates life cycle of contained chemicals and resulting exposures; calls for revisions to regulations to be protective, consistent, anticipatory, communicative
China approves new FCMs, additives, resins
National Health Commission announces newly approved additives for food contact materials (FCMs), expanded FCM uses, and resins for use in plastics and coatings
Mercosur positive list for FCM plastic additives
Latin American trade bloc publishes resolution defining additives allowed in food contact material plastics and polymeric coatings; aligns with EU regulations, defines specific migration limits, usage restrictions
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
Quantifying migration of whitening agents from plastics
EU reference laboratory for FCMs develops analytical method for quantification of fluorescent whitening agents migrating from plastic beverage cups