Indonesia’s draft food contact regulation reorganizes material groups; includes positive and negative substance lists, specific and overall migration limits; testing guidance based on food type, contact time, and temperature; public consultation closed in December 2023, final version expected in 2024
April 26, 2023
PFAS found in popcorn bags in US, Indonesia
US based and Indonesia based NGOs publish report on PFAS in popcorn bags; all 29 samples tested contained at least one PFAS
November 1, 2022
ASEAN member actions on plastic and chemical pollution
Nations in Southeast Asia collectively working on reducing plastic pollution and related chemical hazards; Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signs off on project to “combat” marine plastic; Thailand plans ban on plastic scrap imports; new research available on sources of plastic pollution in Indonesia and Vietnam; Vietnam and Singapore implementing stricter chemical regulations; extended producer responsibility for plastic waste becomes law in Philippines
October 19, 2022
2022 FPF Workshop: FCM developments in the last decade
On the morning of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss changes in food contact material (FCM) regulation in the EU, US, and Asia; panels discuss key research and policy developments over the last decade
April 7, 2022
Global Food Contact Conference 2022: updates from Asia
Smithers conference covers global developments in food contact regulations and materials; speakers on day two review recent and upcoming changes to food packaging regulations in China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia
February 22, 2022
Bisphenol A in bottles and children’s cups from less regulated markets
International Pollution Elimination Network (IPEN) finds 60% of sampled “BPA-free” plastic bottles and children’s cups from 8 countries contain bisphenol A (BPA); test 98 containers (23 “BPA-free”) from local markets in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania; Sri Lanka’s Environment Ministry says it will investigate
February 1, 2022
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
