Eurofins | Newsflash - June 2018 | FCM

Europe 

Reduction of plastics in the environment The single use plastic (SUP) items represent about half of all marine litter items found on European beaches. The problem of marine litter is transboundary by nature, as litter moves in the marine environment and litter originating from one country can affect others. It is for this reason that a joint action is needed to reduce it.

The European Commission is working on this matter through initiatives, proposals and strategies such as:

• EU plastic strategy
• Initiative towards an EU Product Policy Framework contributing to the Circular Economy
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste
• The last publication:  Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment with reference ( COM/2018/340 final - 2018/0172 (COD).)

This last proposal was published on 28^th May with the main objective of preventing and reducing plastic marine litter. This proposal applies a SUP items and fishing gear containing plastic.
At national level there are countries that are already working in national bans such as UK with “The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) Regulations 2018” and France that will ban plastic cups, plates and cutlery of only one use by 2020. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is also working in the restriction of microplastics.
 
Click here for getting the European Commission Press release about Single-use plastics.
Click here for getting the ECHA article related to Plastics, chemicals and regulation.

Europe 

Scientific opinion on recycling PET On 7th March, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the scientific opinion “Safety assessment of the process ‘BTB PET DIRECT IV*+’ , used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials". (* Intrinsic Viscosity)

Europe 

The Plastic Regulation (EU) no. 10/2011 amended by (EU) no. 2018/831

The European Commission has released Regulation (EU) no. 2018/831 which amends Regulation (EU) no. 10/2011 on Plastic materials and articles for food contact. The amendment defines new limit values for 2 substances that are already in the positive list in Annex I:

• Perchloric acid, salts  (FCM substance No 822)
• Phosphorous acid, mixed 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylpropyl)phenyl and 4-(1,1- dimethylpropyl) phenyl triesters (CAS 939402-02-5) (FCM substance No 974)

and adds 2 new substances to the list:

• 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene 2,6-di carboxylic acid, dimethyl ester (CAS 23985-75-3) (FCM substance No 1066)
• [3- (2,3-epoxypropoxy) propyl]trimethoxy silane (CAS 2530-83-8) (FCM substance No 1068)

US

Proposals to ban PFAS in food packaging Different States of US are working towards prohibition of intentionally added PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl substances) in food packaging. Two examples are Rhode Island and New York. A link to the recently introduced proposals can be found below: Rhode Island S 2654 and H 7732: “An Act relating to health and safety – PFAS in food packaging”. New York S 8576: “An Act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in food packaging”.

China

CFSA proposed public consultation regarding 8 new evaluated food contact additives and monomer

On April 13^th, 2018, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) launched a public consultation on a new safety evaluation of some new additives and monomers.

An overview of the new evaluated substances can be found as follows:

• new food contact additive is allowed to be used as additive for manufacturing food contact materials and articles;

• four food contact additives are expanded in terms of scope and usage;

• three new resins are allowed to be used as food contact resins;

 
The complete notification can be found here (in Chinese).

China

Opinion request for 4 National Food Safety Standards

On 9^th May, the China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has launched an opinion request about 4 National Food Safety Standards (consolation Draft).
The draft standards are:

1. National Standards for Food Safety Flavored Noodles
2. National Standards for Food Safety
3. National Standards for Food Safety Composite Materials and Products for Food Contact
4. National Standards for Food Safety Starch-based Plastics Materials and Products for Food Contact

Feedback can be submitted online through the National Food Safety Standards Management Information System (http://bz.cfsa.net.cn/cfsa_aiguo) before July 10, 2018.
The official publication is available on NHC’s website (in Chinese).