Abstract
Government agencies around the world regulate food contact materials or articles. Understanding these regulations and keeping up with the new regulations are essential for maintaining market access for food contact products. My intent is to provide global plastics food contact regulation developments and updates relevant to plastic film and sheet for food packaging.
Keywords
Country
Canada
British Columbia of Canada adopted Order in Council 461/2023 1 on 14 July 2023, “Single -Use and Plastic Waste Prevention”. The regulation bans Single-use plastic bags, plastic food service packaging (food service ware, food service accessory), all oxo-degradable plastic packaging. The effective date of the regulation is 20 December 2023.
USA
In July 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Draft Revised Unreasonable Risk Determination 2 for 1,4-dioxane. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) manufacture was cited as one of the contributing factors for making this determination considering 1,4-dioxane is generated as a byproduct of PET manufacturing. A determination of unreasonable risk triggers mandatory risk management action to reduce or eliminate the risk, although EPA has not yet signal whether it will generate new regulations based on this finding. Multiple US states have developed limits for 1,4-dioxane in drinking water or other consumer products recently.
On 21 July 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected 3 a second petition from a group of Non-Government Organization (NGO) to remove authorization for 28 phthalates in food contact uses. FDA rejected the first petition from the same group in May 2022. At that time, FDA granted 4 a food additive petition filed by industry to remove 25 phthalates from regulations due to industry abandonment.
Region
EU
The 16th amendment to the EU Plastic Regulation, Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011, was published on 12 July 2023, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1442. 5 The amendment added six new substances to the Annex I of Regulation 10/2011, Plastics Positive List. The amendment removed two substances from the Positive List: untreated wood flour or fibres and salicylic acid (for potential endocrine effect). The amendment also included specific migration levels (SMLs) and/or restrictions and specifications for four phthalates.
On 18 July 2023, the EU Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) hosted a webinar 6 , announced that it is working on a measure to further restrict the intentional use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials (FCMs).
On 8 June 2023, European Commission published Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1132 7 , adding 24 new substances that are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction (CMR) to the REACH Restricted Substance List (REACH Annex XVII). Examples of the 24 substances are: Cumene (CAS# 98-82-8), Benzophenone (CAS# 119-61-9), Dibutyltin di(acetate) (CAS# 1067-33-0), 4,4'-sulphonyldiphenol (bisphenol S) (CAS# 80-09-1). A restriction can apply to any substance, listed in REACH Annex XVII, on its own, in a mixture or in an article, including those that do not require registration.