21 January 2021

Food contact news – Gennaio 2021

PLASTIC TAX: ENTRY INTO FORCE IN ITALY POSTPONED TO 1 JULY 2021
Plastic tax and sugar tax, debut postponed with the 2021 Budget Law
The entry into force of Plastic tax and sugar tax has been postponed respectively to the 1st July 2021 and to the 1s January 2022. The decision has been taken by the Budget Law. Such law provides also other innovations: 1) the new definition of MACSI (single-use plastic products); 2) the inclusion of preforms and products obtained from the molding of PET intended to become a bottle or container for beverages, through a blowing process; 3) the reduction of the penalty to be paid if case of late payment of the taxes. The two taxes will regard clients, people, resident or non-resident in the national territory, who intend to sell MACSI to other countries.

NEW YORK BANNING PFAS IN FOOD PACKAGING
New York governor Cuomo signs bill banning PFAS in all food packaging, effective from December 2022, industry criticizes lack of alternatives
Andrew Cuomo signed a new bill banning the intentional addition of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in all food packaging effectively from December 2022. In contrast to previous related bills passed in Washington and Maine, there is no requirement in this law for the state to find an alternative for said substances before banning them. This stricter approach is more in line with the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) model legislation and intended to “spur innovation.” The bill has been criticized by industry groups like The Performance Fluoropolymer Partnership as being too restrictive also excluding substances, like fluoropolymers, that “provide materials that are critical to public health”. In addition, the Alliance for Telomer Chemistry Stewardship stated the legislators did not identify suitable alternatives for disposable packaging which may lead to a challenging situation for the foodservice industry.