European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel publishes scientific opinion prioritizing 451 substances for creation of specific migration limits (SMLs) for plastic food contact materials; the 3 identified high priority substances are salicylic acid, styrene, and vinyl laurate
June 11, 2020
Upcoming FPF webinar on novel bioassays for FCMs
On June 30, 2020, the Food Packaging Forum (FPF) will hold a webinar featuring a presentation from Alan Bergmann from the Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology on recent research developing novel bioassays to improve testing of food contact materials (FCMs); method improves sensitivity of detecting estrogenicity within complex mixtures of chemicals
May 5, 2020
Japan releases revised positive list for FCMs
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare publishes revised version of positive list for food contact materials (FCMs); includes additional base polymer resins, monomers, additives; to be enforced from June 1, 2020 with five-year transition period for existing products
April 28, 2020
Zero Waste Europe webinar on FCMs
Webinar on food contact materials (FCMs) to present on the migration of chemicals and their impacts on human health, discuss improving EU policy framework in the context of the European Green Deal; deliver first results from recent project on phthalates
April 17, 2020
BfR updates recommendations for FCMs
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) publishes updates to non-binding recommendations for various food contact materials (FCMs); includes new migration limits for slimicides and aluminum in paper and board, catalyst residues in polypropylene and polyethylene, new monomers for polymer dispersions
April 7, 2020
Malaysia sets metal migration limits for ceramics
Notification to World Trade Organization (WTO) expands regulations to cover ceramic cooking ware, sets migration limits of 0.5 mg/L for lead and 0.05 mg/L for cadmium
January 15, 2020
PlasticsEurope publishes infographics on FCMs
European industry association publishes infographics on food contact materials, provides overview of substance migration and risk assessment process
December 13, 2019
Proficiency test for cyclic oligomers analysis
EU Reference Laboratory for FCMs reports ‘satisfactory’ results of proficiency test focused on determination of cyclic oligomers from PET and PBT by national laboratories and control authorities
December 10, 2019
Food packaging fact sheet now in 18 languages
Food Packaging Forum translates its fact sheet on food packaging and human health into 18 different languages, provides introductory overview of chemicals in food packaging; pdfs available for download in all languages
December 9, 2019
Morocco drafts new FCM migration limits
Notification to the World Trade Organization includes specific migration limits for chemicals by food contact material (FCM) type; plastics with lost traceability not to be used in food contact applications; draft standards open for comments until January 21, 2019
