The European Commission published the 9th amendment to the Plastics Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/79) on January 18, 2018. This amendment updates the Plastic Regulation’s positive list by making changes to the restrictions/uses for (butadiene, styrene, methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate) copolymer cross-linked with divinylbenzene or 1,3- butanediol dimethacrylate, and by adding the following four new substances:
The European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) rejected a motion to oppose the adoption of the draft EU Regulation on the use of bisphenol A in varnishes and coatings intended to come into contact with food and amending Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 as regards the use of that substance in plastic food contact materials at its January 11, 2018 committee meeting A copy of the draft motion is available here.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published Part 1 of a draft Guidance on risk assessment of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications in the food and feed chain that proposes to update a 2011 guidance document on this topic. Part 1 of the draft Guidance focuses on human and animal health aspects of nanomaterial application. Part 2 will address environmental risk assessment.
The European Commission (EC) published a Draft proposal for a new Mutual Recognition Regulation, and has launched a public consultation on the draft on December 20, 2017. The objective of the new regulation is to improve the function of mutual recognition.
The European Commission (EC) has published a roadmap to assess the existing approach in the European Union (EU) to regulating food-contact materials (FCMs). The Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 provides that FCMs shall not transfer their components into food in quantities that could endanger human health or change the composition, or organoleptic properties of the food.
The European Commission (EC) has submitted the 9th amendment to the Plastics Regulation, (EU) No 10/2011, to the European Parliament (EP) and European Council for a three month “scrutiny” period. The “right of scrutiny” by the EP and Council is one of the steps in the regulatory procedure with scrutiny (or Comitology) that controls how the EC implements amendments to the Plastics Regulation.
Keller and Heckman Partners Jeff Keithline and Rachida Semail will be speaking at Smithers Pira’s Plastics and Paper in Contact with Foodstuffs 2017 seminar, to be held in Berlin, Germany. Mr. Keithline’s presentation is titled, “Legislation of food contact materials in China,” and Ms. Semail’s presentation is titled, “EU new model or regulating printed food contact materials.”
Keller and Heckman is one of the sponsors for this seminar. More information, including how to register, can be found here.
Do the EU or German (BfR) authorities consider digester additives, used in pulp digesters, as part of the food contact regulation? There is no...