US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 18 new entries to Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications since January 2020
June 2, 2020
NGOs call for lower PFHxA concentration limit
Consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) submits comments on EU restriction proposal for perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and related substances; calls for concentration limits much lower than those currently proposed, transparent justification for limits proposed
May 27, 2020
Preventing cancer from environmental pollutants: Infographic
Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues publish set of infographics illustrating role environmental pollutants play in causing cancer; call for revisions to EU food contact materials legislation to reduce hazardous chemical exposures
May 21, 2020
EU Farm to Fork Strategy announces timeline for FCM revisions
European Commission publishes strategy aiming to change how Europeans value food sustainability; confirms that current EU regulations on food contact materials (FCMs) will be revised to reduce use of hazardous chemicals and support re-usable packaging solutions; proposed revision to be released end of 2022
May 15, 2020
China launches consultation on priority chemicals
Ministry identifies 19 hazardous substances including 11 food contact chemicals; information being accepted until May 31, 2020
May 14, 2020
Italy to delay new plastics tax until 2021
Tax on non-recyclable plastics originally set to come into effect on July 1, 2020; delay until January 1, 2021 estimated to cost the government €140 million worth of tax revenue; enacted in response to COVID-19 pandemic
May 13, 2020
ECHA strategy report highlights grouping
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) publishes annual report of its Integrated Regulatory Strategy; presents results from recent review of registered substances with annual volumes greater than 100 tons, finds 56% lacking data; grouping approach helping to speed up regulatory actions, improve consistency
May 13, 2020
Public consultation to inform broad EU PFAS restriction
Group of five EU national authorities launch online questionnaire to collect information on the uses and alternatives to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); plan to develop wide-ranging joint restriction proposal on uses of PFAS; information accepted until end of July 2020
May 11, 2020
European Commission publishes chemicals strategy roadmap
Document outlines aims for the upcoming Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability; set to consider recent and ongoing regulatory reviews, address risks posed by endocrine disruptors, hazardous chemicals in products, combination effects; feedback accepted until June 20, 2020
May 11, 2020
China revises regulation on new chemical substances
Government publishes final regulatory text, substance approval linked to persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties; identity of new substances to be made publicly available after maximum period of 5 years; comes into force on January 1, 2021
