NEWS
25 November 2020
Food contact news November 2020
EU’S CHEMICALS STRATEGY PLANS ACTIONS ON FCMS
EC publishes Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability; plans to ban PFAS for all non-essential uses, move towards grouping approach for regulation of all chemicals; specific actions for food contact materials include extending generic approach to risk management, identifying endocrine disruptors.
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The European Commission announced the publication of its new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). It is being described as the first step towards a zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment. Specifically related to food contact materials (FCMs), the action plan for the strategy includes plans for the EU’s FCM regulations to: Extend the generic approach to risk management “to ensure that consumer products do not contain chemicals that cause cancers, gene mutations
· Update information requirements to allow the identification of endocrine disruptors
· Introduce or reinforce provisions to take account of the combination effects of chemicals Regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the EC plans to ban all PFAS as a group in fire-fighting foams as well as in other uses, allowing their use only where they are essential for society.
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CANADA DEVELOPING PLAN FOR ZERO PLASTIC WASTE
Government plans to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030; set to ban six categories of single-use plastic items, introduce minimum recycled content requirements, extend producer responsibility, legally classify plastic items as toxic The Government of Canada announced the development of a plan to achieve zero plastic waste within the country by 2030. The plan would create new legislation banning single-use plastic items including “checkout bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery, and food ware made from hardto- recycle plastics.” It would further set minimum recycled content requirements and expand producer responsibility. In order to move forward with the legislation, the country would list “plastic manufactured items” under Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which would legally classify the items as “toxic substances”. Details of the proposed plan are part of a discussion paper, and the government has also published a scientific assessment of plastic pollution. The new regulations are set to be finalized by the end of 2021.