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Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has issued a final report that details the steps that should be taken to develop and implement a positive list system for regulating food-contact materials. The Report, prepared by the Committee on the Regulation of Food Utensils, Containers and Packaging, was published on June 16, 2017, and an English version was posted on MHLW’s website on Aug. 7, 2017.

The 7th amendment, (EU) 2017/752, to the Plastics Regulation, (EU) No 10/2011, updates the positive list, introduces a new specific migration limit for nickel, amends the Declaration of Compliance requirement, and clarifies the food simulants for demonstrating compliance with the overall migration limit (OML).

The European Commission published Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1416—which is the sixth amendment to the Plastics Regulation, (EU) No 10/2011—in the Official Journal of the European Union on August 25, 2016.

MERCOSUR (Mercado Común Del Sur or the "Common Market of the South") is revising GMC Resolution No. 32/07, "Positive List of Additives for Plastic Materials Intended for the Manufacture of Packages and Equipment in Contact with Foods," with a final resolution expected to be completed in 2017.

GlassFibre Europe, an association of European glass fiber producers, recently published guidance on how to apply the requirements of the European Union Plastics Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 to sizing components of products used in glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) intended to contact food. By way of background, GFRP, which are composite materials made of a polymer matrix reinforced with glass fibers, were brought within the scope of the Plastics Regulation initially when it superseded the Plastics Directive and its amendments in May 2011.