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The European Commission (EC) announced an online targeted stakeholder consultation as part of a review of the definition of “nanomaterial” for use across all EU regulations.  The introductory note for the consultation emphasizes that the “common definition of the term ‘nanomaterial’ across EU regulation supports a harmonised approach, facilitates implementation and enforcement, and can serve as the technical and scientific basis for EU legislation and policies that set provisions specific to nanomaterials.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently released for public consultation a draft guidance on technical requirements for regulated food and feed product applications to establish the presence of small particles, including nanoparticles.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issued two publications in May as part of its Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials, noting that risk assessment of nanomaterials can be challenging due to the difference in their physico-chemical properties as compared to non-nanomaterials. Consequently, these publications are intended to assist in the identification of useful parameters for analyzing nanomaterials, as well as the selection of best available methods for gathering relevant physico-chemical information on specific nanomaterials. 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published Part 1 of a draft Guidance on risk assessment of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications in the food and feed chain that proposes to update a 2011 guidance document on this topic. Part 1 of the draft Guidance focuses on human and animal health aspects of nanomaterial application.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) is planning to revise its Recommendation 2011/698/EU on the definition of nanomaterial dated October 18, 2011 and, in this context, it has published a roadmap, titled, “Review and potential revision of the EU Recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial (No.

A review of scientific literature on exposure to nanoscale silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and silver in food, including from sources of food packaging, did not find any significant health risks, according to the results of a study which was recently commissioned by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).  The results of the study were published in two reports: Nanotechnologies in Food Packaging: an Exploratory Appraisal of Safety an

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI) has proposed that companies that are otherwise required to register the content of chemical products to KEMI’s Products Register, must also be required to include information on intentionally added nanomaterials to those products.  Food and animal feed, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics are among the product categories exempt from the reporting requirements in the Products Register, however, and would therefore be exempt from a nanomaterials reporting requirement, if enacted.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a conditional registration for a nanosilver-containing antimicrobial pesticide product. The product, Nanosilva (or NSPW-L30SS), contains 1% nanosilver by weight and will be used as a non-food contact preservative to protect plastics and textiles from odor- and stain-causing bacteria, fungi, mold, and mildew. Articles that may be treated with Nanosilva include household items and hospital equipment. The plastics and textiles will contain less than 0.003% silver by weight.