Food legislation and food safety – October 2025
Food Contact Materials (FCMs) – rules and regulations
China: Keller and Heckman reports that the NHC has published the final amended version of Coatings Standard GB 4806.10. It expands the scope of the 2016 version to cover both direct food-contact and indirect food-contact coatings. Paper is no longer excluded.
India: The FSSAI has opened a consultation on draft regulations (scroll down for English, 569 kB) banning PFAS and bisphenol A (BPA) in FCMs. SGS reports that the government has issued the Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2025 (scroll down for English, 918 kB) to update standards and compliance timelines. This includes standards for three piece round open top metal cans for foods and beverages and for aluminium cans for beverages.
Turkey: FPF reports that the government has submitted an amendment (in Turkish, 211 kB) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) permitting the use of recycled plastics in FCMs.
UK: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a consultation on the proposal to ban the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) along with other bisphenols in FCMs.
US: California: Keller and Heckman reports that Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed (59 kB) bill SB 682, that would phase out the use of PFAS in cookware and in a range of other consumer product categories, including all food packaging. The veto was driven by the Governor’s concern over a lack of affordable cookware options for Californians, if SB 682 had taken effect.
EU: Names such as burger reserved exclusively for products containing meat?
The EP has adopted a mandate for talks with member states about new rules for the common agriculture policy with the aim to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain. Several improvements are proposed in the mandate like conditions for using the term “short supply chain” on labels and the introduction of a new definition of meat as “edible parts of animals” with the specification that names such as steak, escalope, sausage or burger must be reserved exclusively for products containing meat.
Research
University of Leeds researchers investigated how visual design elements on commercial baby food packaging in the UK contribute to misleading promotional claims, specifically through implicit graphic design and selective presentation of information that may distort consumer perceptions of healthfulness. The study (2.67 MB) is published in Design for Health.
Iowa State University researchers have reviewed and analysed global chemical lists and regulations to create a resource for stakeholders in the food packaging sector. This resource can be referenced when designing new food packaging. The study (1.23 MB) is published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology.
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