European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes opinion on the impact of non-monotonic dose responses (NMDRs) on human health risk assessment; if NMDR may be present, suggests further testing at the low end of the dose-response curve; recommends developing internationally agreed guidance and harmonized frameworks for ‘identifying and addressing’ NMDRs during risk assessments
Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging
Article in PLOS Biology discusses hazardous chemicals in plastics; highlights chemicals as critical but often missing aspect in plastic pollution discussion; proposes rethinking current approach to plastic packaging toxicity testing
FPF comments on EFSA’s non-monotonic dose response opinion
Scientific Committee’s Scientific Opinion fails to deliver on European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) commitment to scientific excellence and transparency; Food Packaging Forum (FPF) sends open letter to EFSA’s leadership urging them to address severe shortcomings in content and process; adequate scientific appraisal of non-monotonic dose response (NMDR) is critical for chemical risk assessment that protects public health
Second episode of ‘Unwrapping Food Packaging’ video blog released
Food Packaging Forum publishes second episode of new video blog; discusses if low levels of chemicals migrating from food packaging are safe; introduces viewers to the concepts of non-monotonic dose response, endocrine disrupting chemicals, mixture toxicity, and timing of exposure
EFSA: Draft opinion on NMDR open for consultation
European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) draft opinion reviews literature on assessment of non-monotonic dose responses (NMDRs), finds lack of standards for statistical approaches; suggests stepwise approach for ambiguous ‘apparent’ NMDRs; approach applied in two case studies finds no NMDR for bisphenol A (BPA) but does for di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP); open for comments until February 4, 2021
Webinar on non-monotonicity of BPA
Food Packaging Forum holds webinar featuring presentation from researchers at Tufts University, discusses recent study observing non-monotonic dose-responses in mammary gland development of rats from exposure to bisphenol A (BPA)
CLARITY-BPA study finds clear non-monotonicity
Researchers publish study identifying non-monotonic effects on mammary gland development across all ages of rats; finds causal relationship between BPA exposure and effects observed, results counter earlier statements that effects are rather due to random events
Assessment of EDC authorizations by ECHA
European Chemicals Agency to work on authorization applications for octylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates; both threshold and non-threshold assessment approaches can be considered
Rethinking safe levels
Scientific review shows that some chemicals are proportionately more toxic at lower exposure levels; “dose makes poison” principle indicates that current risk assessment approaches underestimate chemical toxicity