In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the authorized food contact uses of most phthalates due to the widespread abandonment of these uses by industry. After receiving objections on the final rule amending the authorizations for phthalates, FDA has decided that the objections do not justify any amendment to the agency’s rulemaking.
Phthalates are used in plastics and can be found in food packaging and other food contact materials, such as surfaces in food processing plants and food handling gloves. Their use has become an issue of concern due to increasing evidence of the associated negative health consequences.