Expected to take effect by the end of 2027 after stakeholder consultations, the regulation, modeled after the EU’s Single-Use Plastics directive, would prohibit items like plastic cutlery, plates, and straws. Future phases would enforce further requirements for other articles.
A literature review conducted by Greenpeace concluded that heating food in plastic packaging—even ready-to-heat meals labeled as “microwave-safe” or “oven-safe”—may significantly increase the migration of microplastics and chemical additives into food.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is not flawless; no packaging material is. However, its long safety record, rigorous regulatory oversight, and strong sustainability profile make it a material worth defending.
Research from the University of Plymouth has demonstrated the ability of nanoplastics to infiltrate the edible radish root, which raises questions about the food safety and public health implications of dietary exposure to plastics.
ExxonMobil’s new Signature Polymers brand unifies the company’s polyolefin products under a single portfolio. Following the new brand reveal, ExxonMobil Signature Polymers and Colombian packaging manufacturer Alico recently partnered to create a solution for local meat producers.
Regulation (EU) 2025/40, also known as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, limits per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging, bans single-use plastics for most produce, sets requirements for single-use containers in foodservice, and makes other changes to EU plastic food packaging rules.
A new study has found microplastics particles in 88 percent of protein food samples across 16 types, with no statistical difference in microplastics concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins.
Using a new microscopic technique that can detect minute particles of plastic, Rutgers Health and Columbia researchers have discovered that bottled drinking water contains 10–100 times more plastic particles than previous estimates have suggested.
Recent testing for phthalates and bisphenols like BPA in foods found all but one sample to contain phthalates and 79 percent of samples to contain bisphenols. Phthalates were present at worryingly high levels, although levels of bisphenols have decreased since 2009. The study was conducted by Consumer Reports.
