TAGS: PVC, Plasticizers and Sustainability
EFSA’s scientists prioritize reassessments of plasticizer substances used in food contact materials (FCMs) upon feedback from two public consultations and define a protocol for assessing consumer exposure. Full risk assessments will follow in a second step.
The European Commission asked EFSA to carry out preparatory work to re-evaluate the health risks from plasticizers such as phthalates, structurally similar substances, and substances used to replace phthalates in FCMs.
Related Read: Global Food Contact Regulations: Simplifying Compliance and Safety Standards
Focus: Plasticizers Used in Plastics & Rubber
The scientific opinion focusses on plasticizers used in different types of FCMs (e.g. plastics, rubber and inks) across the food chain (e.g. food processing equipment and packaging).
For the identification and prioritization process, scientists consider information provided by the Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and EU Member States. Two public consultations provided additional input and helped us further clarify the rationale for including substances in the prioritization exercise.
Only substances authorized for use in FCMs at EU or at national level were prioritized. Scientists ranked them into three groups based on their most recent risk assessment as an FCM substance: ‘high priority’ - assessed before 2001, ‘medium priority’ – assessed between 2001 and 2011, and ‘low priority’ if assessed since 2011.
Calls will be launched for data on the occurrence of prioritised substances in food and in FCMs before this summer to help finetune the prioritization ranking and derive exposure estimates for the risk assessments.
The scientific protocol for the exposure assessment of the prioritized substances details upfront the approach EFSA’s scientists intend to use to retrieve and select data as well as to integrate and analyse evidence for the exposure estimates (including dietary, overall exposure and contribution to exposure from FCMs).
This work was carried out in close collaboration with ECHA, in which we are piloting efforts to facilitate the implementation of the EC’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, e.g. the “One-Substance, One-Assessment” approach.
Source: EFSA