Letter from stakeholders including civil society groups and actor Mark Ruffalo asks UK ministers to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in paper and board food packaging; petition to UK supermarkets collecting public signatures
Study finds lack of data on PFAEs
Report from Nordic Council of Ministers reviews public information available for per- and polyfluoroalkylether substances (PFAEs); identifies 394 substances, find more than half do not exist in public chemical databases; limited data on identity, production, and uses
What U.S. states consider in regulating PFAS
White paper by Environmental Council of States (ECOS) reviews and compares regulations on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by U.S. states; identifies state agencies’ considerations and unanswered questions that will influence future regulation
EFSA publishes scientific opinion on PFAS in food
European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) latest draft opinion proposes group tolerable weekly intake (TWI) limit of 8 ng/kg body weight for 4 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); opens public comment period until April 20, 2020, plans technical workshop in Brussels on March 12, 2020
OECD webinar on EU’s PFAS strategy
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) to hold webinar with representative from DG Environment on February 25, 2020; feature presentation on recent PFAS restrictions in EU, strategy for moving forward
Conference on EU food contact regulations
Chemical Watch hosts conference covering European and global regulations on food contact materials, risk assessment, and circular economy; two-year delay in the evaluation of FCM legislation announced
Study measures PFAS in UK food packaging
Fidra publishes report testing for presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 92 samples of fiber-based food packaging from UK supermarkets and take away restaurants; finds 18 have total organic fluorine levels above background concentration; highest concentrations in molded fiber take away boxes
U.S. state lawmakers focus on developing PFAS legislation
Analysis from Safer States finds 29 U.S. states currently considering over 180 chemicals policies; focus placed largely on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with 13 states specifically considering restrictions on PFAS in food packaging; Wisconsin opens online survey for PFAS Action Council until February 21, 2020
Retailer initiative, Hollywood film draw attention to PFAS pollution
Fashion retailer H&M and Danish retailer Coop join ChemSec initiative calling for phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from products and supply chains; Belgian premier of film ‘Dark Waters’ includes panel debate in European Parliament with director and lead actor
Bill to amend FDCA, ban PFAS in food packaging
Senator Bernie Sanders introduces bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, deem all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ‘unsafe for use in food contact materials’