Eurofins | Newsflash - May 2018 | FCM

Europe

Microplastics in our daily lives: A growing concern

On 27^th March, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health notified to World Trade Organization the Draft Act amending the Federal Law on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (Law on Therapeutic Products, LPTh)).

The aim of this proposal is to adapt to EU legislation and to improve the safety and quality of medical devices in Switzerland.

Click here for getting the Swiss Draft from the European Commission website with reference G/TBT/N/CHE/229

Denmark

Fluorinated substances in food contact materials (FCM) of cardboard and paper

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) has made some changes in relation to the assessment of total organic fluorine (TOrF) content in cardboard and paper for food contact.

Fluorinated substances belong to a group of chemical substances that are highly degradable and which can accumulate in humans and animals. There are several of these substances suspected of being carcinogenic, harmful to the immune system and of causing hormonal disorder…

Click here to read the full article

France

New sheets about materials in contact with foodstuffs

DGCCRF (Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consummation et de la Répression des Fraudes) has recently published new versions of the following food contact materials sheets:

Date	Title	*Version ()**
07/03/2018	DGCCRF - Fiche MCDA n°2 (V01 – 01/05/2016) Food contact suitability of inorganic materials (excluding metal and alloys)	French version	English version
9/03/2018	DGCCRF - General information concerning the regulation of materials and articles intended to come into contact with food	French version	English version

(*) Only the French version is the Official one

Germany

Toolbox to reduce the amount of contaminants in food

This year 2018, the German BLL (Bund für Lebensmittelrecht und Lebensmittelkunde e.V.)(Industry organization representing the German food industry), has published a document on preventing the transfer of undesired mineral oil hydrocarbons into food.

The aim of this document is to help the industry to control and prevent the introduction of contaminants with mineral oil. It provides sources, analysis and indications about analytics as well as advice regarding which sources can be avoided with reasonable measures and which not.

Click here to access the BLL website where you can find the “Toolbox for Preventing the Transfer of Undesired Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons into Food”

Turkey

New legislation about food contact materials

On 5^th April 2018, The Turkey’s Official Gazette published the new legislations on food contact materials (FCMs):

This legislation aligns the Turkish rules with the EU regulations for FCM and active and intelligent materials intended to be in contact with food. The deadline to comply with the new laws is end of 2018 (or end of 2019 for some exceptions)

China

NHFPC published new notice regarding 6 new approved food contact additives and other relevant updates

On March 22, 2018, National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China (NHFPC) adopted the safety evaluation of some new additives and monomers from China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), and published notice No. 3 of 2018 based on Food Safety Law. This updated rule will come into effect on the date of publication.
The detailed information of the new approved substances is as follows:

new food contact additive is allowed to be used as additive for manufacturing food contact materials and articles;

No.	CAS#	Substance
1	-	Homopolymers of distillates (petroleum), C_3-6, piperylene-rich (C₅) and copolymers with one or more of the following: isobutylene (C₄), styrene, and alpha-methylstyrene

food contact additive is expanded in terms of scope and usage;

No.	CAS#	Substance
2	919-30-2	3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane

three new resins are allowed to be used as food contact resins;

No.	CAS#	Substance
3	-	Polymer of adipic acid with isophthalic acid, maleic anhydride, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dihydroxymethyl butanol and dimethyl-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxyla
4	-	Polymer of isophthalic acid, maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, phosphoric acid, trimethylol propane and 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol
5	-	Polymer of isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid, adipic acid, trimethylol propane, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol and ethylene glycol

food contact resin is expanded in terms of scope and usage;

No.	CAS#	Substance
6	9002-86-2	Polyvinyl chloride

The complete notification can be found here (in Chinese).

US - California

2018-2020 priority product work plan

On 9^th March 2018, the public consultation about the Draft 2018-2020 Priority Product Work Plan launched by State of California’s Safer Consumer Products program was closed. In this plan, the State’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) added the food contact materials (FCMs) category to the 5 already existing categories in the 2015-2017 plan.

The chemicals to be assessed include, for example, some bisphenols and phthalates, as well as styrene and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).

Click here for getting the Draft three year Priority Product Work plan (2018-2020).