27 May 2021

food contact news – May 2021

EUROPE: ANSES PRIORITIZES SUBSTANCES FOR EDC ASSESSMENT

French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) releases list of substances of very high concern, assessment tool for identification of endocrine disruptors (EDCs); found 906 chemicals of concern, 16 substances of high priority; aim to accelerate identification and chemical assessment of EDCs part of Second National Endocrine Disruptor Strategy

The French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) released a press statement on a new approach that could help the country accelerate the identification process of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) under its second national endocrine disruptor strategy. Based on comparing and evaluating existing lists of EDCs, ANSES compiled its own list of priority substances. This list comprises 906 chemicals that experts from ANSES evaluated using a novel appraisal method that assessed whether the substances are “known, presumed or suspected endocrine disruptors.” With this approach, the experts aimed to develop a “faster and more efficient” process to identify endocrine disruptors.

CANADA INTENDS TO APPROACH PFAS AS SINGLE CLASS

Canadian government announces intention to consider per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as single class; will continue to support PFAS related research, collect information on how to implement approach, review implementation of other jurisdictions; plans to publish overview report in 2023.

Environmental and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada planning to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as a class. Since regulating each PFAS individually has been seen by many stakeholders as very slow and impractical, the Canadian government plans to adopt a class- based assessment approach going forward for PFAS. Furthermore, the authorities announced they will: (1) continue to invest in PFAS-related research and monitoring, (2) collect and examine information on implementing a class-based approach, and (3) review developments in other jurisdictions. The goal is to publish a “State of PFAS” report summarizing all available information on the class of PFAS within the next two years. Several US states, the EU, as well as some big retailers such as Amazon and McDonald’s have already started the process of phasing out all PFAS, including uses in FCMs.