Food legislation and food safety – January 2023

Food Contact Materials (FCMs) – rules and regulations
EU: EFSA has published its hazard assessment protocol for plasticisers used in FCMs. The EC has announced the results of the EU Enforcement Action Plan on plastic FCMs containing bamboo powder. SGS reports that CEN has issued Parts 2 and 3 to EN 1186:2022 on overall migration test methods for plastic FCMs. EFSA has published the outcomes and the recordings of the ONE Conference on food safety. Mercosur: SGS reports that an amendment to the technical regulation on paper and board FCMs has been approved. Member states are required to transpose the revision into national law by 16 May 2023. China: Keller and Heckman reports that SAMR has released a new management measure for food-related products. UK: FSA has published University of Southampton research on the survival of the coronavirus on food and packaging. Ukraine: SGS reports that new legislation on FCMs has been published. US: The FDA has issued a final rule on food traceability. The Californian ban on food-packaging made from plant-derived fibres containing PFAS came into force on 1 January 2023 and the New York ban came in force on 31 December 2022. Keller and Heckman reports that food packaging does not need be notified under the Maine PFAS Reporting Law.

Claims, marking and labelling
France: Recently decree 2022-1440 (in French) was published on the procedures for informing consumers of the consumable nature of foodstuffs after the minimum use-by date. NL: According to a recent report by the Health Council of the Netherlands, the Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition label can be a useful addition to existing nutritional information. However, the label does have its shortcomings, which will need to be addressed. The report has been sent (in Dutch) to the House. The Monitor Child Marketing for food 2021 (in Dutch, 5.95 MB) has also been sent (in Dutch) to the House. Chapter 8 deals with children's idols on packaging. US: The FDA has issued a draft guidance on food allergen labelling and a reminder on the sesame allergen labelling that is required as of 1 January 2023. The FDA has also extended the comment period for the proposed criteria for the “healthy” claim on food packages.
CFA reports that TTB has agreed to issue proposed rules requiring standardised alcohol content, calorie and allergen labelling on all beer, wine and distilled spirits products. TTB also agreed to investigate rulemaking on mandatory ingredient labelling. The Beer Institute has revised its Advertising and Marketing Code to help consumers distinguish between alcohol and non-alcohol versions of beverages.

Research
FPF reports that Zhejiang University of Technology researchers have found microplastics in PP takeaway food containers. An article (1.88 MB) about the research is published in Toxics.
FPF also reports that researchers from the University of Messina have assessed the obesogenic effects of para-phthalates. Para-phthalates are used in the production of PET. An article (2.86 MB) about the research is published in Molecules.
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have demonstrated a causal link between environmental phthalates and the increased growth of uterine fibroids, the most common tumours among women. An article (1.49 MB) about the research is published in PNAS.
 

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