Using solutions containing peroxyacetic acid (PAA) to reduce contamination from pathogens on poultry carcasses and meat would not pose toxicity concerns, concluded the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in a scientific opinion. EFSA issued the Scientific Opinion on PAA in response to a request from the European Commission based on an application dossier submitted by the U.S.

The European Commission (EC) proposed a draft Regulation to establish a self-certification system aimed stopping the trade of conflict minerals, which finances armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding areas. Under the voluntary self-certification program, EU importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold and their ores would be required to monitor and administer their purchases and sales based on the five steps of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance.

The European Union (EU) released a 45-page document, titled, Union Guidelines on Regulation (EU) 10/2011 on plastic materials and article intended to come into contact with food, on February 21, 2014.

This Guidance document covers general aspects of the Plastics Regulation, including:

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a set of indicative timelines specifying when additional documentation requested by the Authority should be submitted for risk assessments of regulated products. EFSA does not have an overarching regulation that governs the risk-assessment process for all products, but has instead relied on sector-specific regulations which vary depending on the regulated entity.

The European Food Safety Authority's (ESFA) Scientific Network of Risk Assessment of Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed published its annual report on Dec. 12, 2013. Among its accomplishments during 2013, the Network finalized a list of national laboratories that have equipment and expertise for analyzing nanomaterials in complex matrices, and it worked on compliling inventory lists of nanomaterials applications currently present in the food/feed chain.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a Scientific Opinion on a safety evaluation of several EREMA advanced technology-based processes used to recycle post-consumer PET into food-contact material.

Denmark presented a Draft Order to the European Commission covering the registration of products containing nanomaterials. Food-contact materials are excluded from the registration requirement.

The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) has published an updated technical guide on metals used in food-contact materials and articles. The guide, titled, Metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles: A practical guide for manufacturers and regulators, was prepared by the EDQM Committee of Experts on Packaging Materials for Food and Pharmaceutical Products (P-SC-EMB).

The European Union's (EU) Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) (Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012), which entered into force on September 1, 2013, includes food-contact materials and articles in its scope. This is in contrast to the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD), which specifically excluded food-contact materials and articles. The BPD was repealed by the BPR.

France has submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to reclassify bisphenol A (BPA) from reproductive toxicity Category 2 to reproductive toxicity Category 1B. Under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation), ECHA's Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) is required to adopt an opinion on any classification and labeling (CLH) proposal within 18 months after receipt of the proposal.