The IAFNS Packaging Safety & Sustainability committee works to expand scientific knowledge on toxicology, exposure and risk assessment of food packaging substances and potential contaminants. The committee also works to identify and resolve barriers to adoption of safe, recycled packaging in support of a more sustainable food supply.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Abbott Nutrition
Conagra Brands
General Mills, Inc.
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Red Bull
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
Keith Vorst, PhD, Iowa State University
Kay Cooksey, PhD, Clemson University
GOVERNMENT ADVISORS
Sean Fischer, PhD, FDA CFSAN
Kevin D. Smith, US Marine Corps (ret)
Research projects:
Despite significant advances in recycling science there remain hurdles to the broad utilization of recycled plastics including the availability of reliable and predictable sources of safe post-consumer material. This project will generate an in-depth survey of the plastic recycling landscape and identify safety issues and potential solutions to enable wide-scale production and adoption of recycled plastic. The project will leverage current frameworks for PET recovery and recycling to identify gaps and solutions for olefin recovery, recycling, and safety for food and beverage packaging. Results will also identify restricted and non-intentional added substances in recycled plastic along with mitigation options, and survey domestic and international recycling requirements such as certification rules and regulations pertaining to “clean” recycled plastic.
Conferences & Symposiums:
Roundtable on Sustainable Food Packaging
February 22, 2023, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Food Packaging Safety and Sustainability committee is hosting a virtual roundtable on sustainable food packaging. This event will bring together stakeholders and technical experts from food companies, retailers, packaging manufacturers, academic institutions, and government regulators to share sustainability initiatives and goals. The expected outcome is to identify and prioritize areas where IAFNS supported science can drive progress in meeting sustainability goals.
To learn more about this invitation-only event, please email science@iafns.org.
Projects Supported by the Committee:
Publications
Understanding intentionally and non-intentionally added substances and associated Threshold of Toxicological Concern in post-consumer polyolefin for use as food packaging
Heliyon, 2024
Global Plastic Waste Recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility Laws
Journal of Environmental Management, 2023
Extended producer responsibility systems can improve recycling rates with high quality.
Read more about Global Plastic Waste Recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility Laws
Suitability of Material Recovery Facility-Recovered Post-Consumer Polypropylene Applications in Extrusion Blow Molded Bottle Food Packaging
Polymers, 2023
This study provides key information on the use of commercially-sourced recycled polypropylene in food packaging applications, which was identified as a critical need for sustainable packaging by government agencies and industry.
Chemicals in Food Packaging: A Review of Phthalates and Bisphenols
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2023
Phthalates and bisphenol chemicals have been widely used globally in packaging materials and consumer products for several decades. These highly functional chemicals have become a concern due to their toxicity (i.e., endocrine modulators) and ability to migrate from food contact materials into food matrices and the environment resulting in human and environmental health risks.
Read more about Chemicals in Food Packaging: A Review of Phthalates and Bisphenols
Machine-Learning-Based Predictions of Polymer and Postconsumer Recycled Polymer Properties: A Comprehensive Review
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2022
Machine learning (ML) algorithms are gaining attention as cost-effective scalable solutions to exploit the physical and chemical structures of polymers. The basic steps for applying ML in polymer science such as fingerprinting, algorithms, open-source databases, representations, and polymer design are outlined in this review.
Events
Nano- and Microplastics from Food Contact Containers: Unveiling the Known and the Unknown
April 3, 2024
Virtual, Event
Experts address the prevalent use of plastics in food-related applications, from preparation to storage, and whether there are potential risks of contamination of nano- and microplastics in our diets.
Federal and State Efforts to Restrict PFAS: Impact on Food Companies
November 14, 2022
Virtual, Event
This webinar will highlight recent and upcoming state laws and federal-level actions that will likely impact food companies and their packaging suppliers. The webinar will also highlight EPA’s actions under the PFAS Strategic Roadmap and preview expected actions later in 2022 and beyond.
Read more about Federal and State Efforts to Restrict PFAS: Impact on Food Companies
IAFNS Virtual Symposium on Risk Assessment of PFAS in Food
September 2, 2020
Virtual, Symposium
IAFNS is pleased to announce the second session in the symposium “Identifying Science Gaps for Risk Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Food”. This session will address risk characterization with a focus on exposure routes and toxicology, and will build on the first session on PFAS Analytical Methodology which was held June 23rd.
Read more about IAFNS Virtual Symposium on Risk Assessment of PFAS in Food
Virtual Symposium: Science Gaps for Risk Assessment of PFAS in Food
June 23, 2020
Washington, DC, USA
This IAFNS virtual symposium aims to inform risk assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in foods and ingredients. The symposium will address analytical methods for PFAS in environmental and food sources, exposure routes from foods, known toxicity mechanisms and knowledge gaps.
Read more about Virtual Symposium: Science Gaps for Risk Assessment of PFAS in Food