Food legislation and food safety – June 2025
Food Contact Materials (FCMs) – rules and regulations
EU: A re-evaluation by EFSA finds that the use of styrene in the manufacture of FCM, respecting the specific migration limit (SML) of 40 μg/kg food proposed by the EC, is not of safety concern. PETCORE EUROPE has published a guide (689 kB) to help collection and sorting operators, as well as their customers and certification bodies, understand what is required to comply with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2022/1616. The guide was developed together with a number of organisations.
South and Southeast Asia: FPF has published an update on FCM regulations.
China: Keller and Heckman reports that the NHC has approved two new resins and expanded usage for one additive for FCMs. Keller and Heckman also reports that the CFSA is soliciting comments on expanded use for two additives for FCMs.
Denmark: SGS reports that the DVFA has completed a public consultation on a proposed law on FCMs. If approved, the law will become effective on 1 January 2026.
Japan: FPF reports that the Consumer Affairs Agency has released an English translation of FAQ (1.05 MB) on the positive list for plastic FCMs. As of 1 June 2025, plastic FCMs must comply with the list. The agency also published a draft proposal (709 kB) on how new substances can be added to the list.
US: Keller and Heckman reports that the FDA has added ten new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS) Notifications.
Claims, marking and labelling – rules and regulations
EU: The EP has published a briefing (194 kB) on the 'wine package' proposed by the EC. Among other things, the legislation would further harmonise wine labels. A recent EP study (5.32 MB) on the labelling of plant-based seafood substitutes shows that potentially non-compliant marketing strategies exist on a large scale.
Australia: Research (3.11 MB) from RMIT University and End Food Waste Australia reveals that clearer, more consistent date labels and storage advice with related bigger print and simple icons, could drastically reduce the amount of food Australians throw away.
US: USDA has published the results (9.11 MB) of a recent study designed to test consumer responses to potential revisions to the Safe Handling Instructions label. Another report (2.05 MB) by USDA shows that the expiration date is the most popular food label for adults, followed by the nutrition facts label. However, new research (904 KB) by IFIC reveals that the date labels are quite often misunderstood and may be doing more harm than good when it comes to preventing food waste.
Food Contact Materials (FCMs) – research
FPF has released the Food Contact Chemicals Priority List (FCCprio List) to systematically identify and prioritise FCCs for phase-out and avoidance based on their hazard properties and exposure potential.
DEHP is used to make plastic items like food containers softer and more flexible. Studies have shown that exposure to DEHP can lead to heart disease and quite a few countries around the world have DEHP restrictions for food packaging. A new study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health estimates that DEHP exposure contributed to 356,238 deaths, more than 13% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64. The study (1.47 MB) is published in Lancet eBioMedicine.
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