The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) most recent update of its Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulation Actions was published on January 25, 2024. The latest version of the Unified Agenda gives a target date of April 2024, for publishing a rule to amend the food additive regulations to allow a Food Contact Substance Notification (FCN) to become no longer effective for reasons other than safety.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently added one new substance to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS) Notifications. The newly listed substances and the manufacturers are listed below.
On January 3, 2024, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) solicited comments on four food-contact materials and articles: two new additives and two new resins. Comments are due by January 21, 2024.
New Food-Contact Additives
On December 11, 2023, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) published a draft amendment of GB 4806.10 on food-contact coatings and coating layers (Draft Amendment), along with other draft standards for various food, food additives, other food-contact materials, and testing methods.
Minnesota’s ban on intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging becomes effective on January 1, 2024. (See Minn. Stat. § 325F.075.) The ban was included in an omnibus environment, natural resources, and tourism bill that was signed into law on June 29, 2021. We previously reported on the law here.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently added six new substances to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS) Notifications. The newly listed substances and the manufacturers are listed below.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) published the final version (in Japanese) of the reorganized positive list (PL) on November 30, 2023. This final version will take effect on June 1, 2025.
On December 1, 2023, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (NHC) approved one new food-contact additive, one new resin, and expanded usage for two food-contact materials. The substances and specifications are listed below.
Expanded Usage for Food-Contact Materials
On November 22, 2023, the European Parliament adopted a revised version of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) with 426 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voting in favor, 125 against, and 74 abstaining. (See the Packaginglaw.com article, EU Proposal for a Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste – the Highlights, for background information on the regulation.)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced several proposed changes to its Safer Choice Standard. Among the proposed changes are provisions to strengthen sustainable packaging requirements that the Agency explained were made in “response to consumer demand and innovations in packaging materials and technologies.” The proposed changes concerning primary packaging are listed below.