Food legislation and food safety – April 2025

Food Contact Materials (FCMs) – rules and regulations
The first fully complete version of the Understanding Packaging (UP) Scorecard for evaluating the environmental and health impacts of food packaging has been released.
FPF’s Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex) has received a major update identifying 1,060 new chemicals present in or migrating from FCMs.
China: SGS reports that the NHC has published five test method standards for FCMs and an amendment to GB 9685 on the use of additives. Keller and Heckman reports that the CFSA is soliciting comments on expanded use for three additives for FCMs.
India: Keller and Heckman reports that the FSSAI has published an amendment (1.75 MB) that allows the use of rPET in FCMs.
US: Keller and Heckman reports that the FDA has added nine new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS) Notifications.
California: SGS reports that AB 1148 has been introduced prohibiting antimony trioxide, bisphenols and ortho-phthalates in food packaging as of 2027.

Claims, marking and labelling – rules and regulations
EU: The EC has proposed a range of measures for the wine sector, including a more harmonised approach to wine labelling.
Italy: The EC has sent a letter of formal notice regarding the requirement to inform consumers about the price of products with reduced content and increased or unchanged selling price (shrinkflation).
NL: The Minister of Economic Affairs has indicated (in Dutch) that he cannot allow English-language labelling including a QR code with a link to Dutch product information. EU rules stipulate that information on a product must be in a language that is easy to understand in the member state where the food is sold.
US: The FDA has announced its intention to extend the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months.
The Brewers Association reports that the proposed ingredient labelling rulemaking for malt beverages, distilled spirits, and wine has been withdrawn.
The FDA published a web page entitled ‘Frequently Asked Questions: Food Allergen Labeling Guidance for Industry’. A survey (486 kB) by IFIC finds that unclear labelling is a top concern among US consumers who know someone (including themselves) with a food allergy, intolerance, and/or sensitivity.

Food Contact Materials (FCMs) – research on migration
A new study led by researchers from Emory University has found that a mother’s exposure to phthalates during pregnancy can affect their newborn’s metabolism and brain development.
FPF reports that Bram Miserez from Ciboris and co-researchers have analysed 52 food samples for the presence of 110 chemicals used in printing inks and adhesives. Thirty-nine samples contained at least one of the target chemicals. The study was part of the ROMIL project (Risk prioritisation and development of multimethods for the analysis of migrating ink and glue components through food contact materials in food matrices).
Findings of a CNR study (1.87 MB) published in Scientific Reports indicate a potential cardiovascular risk linked to microplastics (MP) exposure from plastics commonly used in food packaging. The researchers identified PE- and PS-MPs, as causal factors in the pathological activation of vascular smooth muscle cells.
 

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