Today, the European Commission published the long-awaited public consultation on the revision of the EU Food Contact Materials legislation. The consultation includes surveys for stakeholders and citizens to complete, and is open for responses until 11th January 2023.

From farms and storage to grocery shops and our kitchens, our food comes into contact with lots of different materials. Unfortunately, those materials are allowed to contain harmful chemicals, including chemicals that can disrupt our bodies’ sensitive hormone system (also known as endocrine disrupting chemicals or EDCs), and chemicals that have been linked to the promotion of certain cancers and reproductive issues. Studies have shown that chemicals can leach from food packaging into the food we eat and the beverages we drink, putting our health at risk.

The EU has laws to regulate food contact materials, but they are out of date and inadequate to protect citizens from harmful chemicals in these materials. The European Commission is currently undertaking a revision of the laws to improve them, and the public consultation is part of this process.

CHEM Trust is calling for the most hazardous chemicals to be banned in consumer products, including food contact materials, by 2030.

We encourage all interested organisations and individuals to respond to the consultation, and call for legislation that better protects citizens, wildlife, and our environment from harmful chemicals in food contact materials.

Read more about harmful chemicals in food contact materials on our website, Toxic Free Food Packaging.