The manufacturers will phase-out PFAS used for grease-proofing in paper and paperboard for food packaging
FDA has signed deal with manufacturers to eliminate use of certain short-chain PFAS Used food packaging. (Credit: Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay)
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has entered into a voluntary agreement with manufacturers to eliminate certain short-chain certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in food packaging applications.
The manufacturers agreed with the regulator to phase-out PFAS used for grease-proofing in paper and paperboard for food packaging. They have agreed to avoid the sales of these substances for use as food contact substances in the US.
According to the FDA, the move will help balance uncertainty about the potential for public health risks with minimising potential market disruptions to food packaging supply chains during the Covid-19 public health emergency.
At the starting of this year, the FDA scientists revealed their analyses of studies on certain PFAS used in food packaging.
The analyses of data from rodent studies imposed questions about a subset of short-chain PFAS that contain 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) because of evidence of biopersistence of 6:2 FTOH, said the regulator.
The data recommended that the potential of 6:2 FTOH to also persist in humans from chronic dietary exposure at higher doses.
Three manufacturers will start a three-year phase-out of their sales of certain substances from January 2021
From January 2021, three manufacturers will start a three-year phase-out of their sales of certain substances, which include 6:2 FTOH for use as food contact substances in the US markets.
The regulator stated that it is expected to take up to 18 months to exhaust existing stocks of paper and paperboard products containing these food contact substances from the market after the phase-out period.
In 2019, the fourth manufacturer reported to the regulator regarding the suspension of sales of their short-chain PFAS products in the US market.
Via the FDA’s Food Contact Notification (FCN) process, the four manufacturers of these short-chain grease-proofing agents earlier received authorisation for the use of these substances in food contact paper packaging applications.
In July, the FDA recommended labeling changes for opioid pain medicines and the medicine used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) regarding the availability of naloxone.