articles of interest

Below are some articles of interest to members and non-members of the TFGA:

Food packaging chemical migration survey

As packaging materials become more complex in their design and composition, regulators around the world are questioning the survey of packaged foods.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) received a number of reports about chemicals in food contact packaging migrating into food or liquid inside their package.

As a result FSANZ undertook a survey of a range of chemicals associated with packaging materials.

The survey, Chemical migration from food contact packaging materials in Australian food, analysed at a total of 65 foods and beverages packaged in glass, paper, plastic or cans.

The survey looked at concentrations of a range of chemicals that might migrate from packaging into food.

The survey results were very reassuring with no detections of harmful chemicals such as phthalates, perfluorinated compounds, semicarbazide, acrylonitrile or vinyl chloride in food samples.

Epoxidised soybean oil (ESBO) which is used in a range of plastics, was detected at very low levels in a small proportion of sampled analysed. These levels were below international migration limits set by the European Union and don't pose a risk to human health and safety.

FSANZ will continue to monitor levels of bisphenol A (BPA) and other chemicals used in food packaging which may migrate into foods and beverages as part of the 24th Australian Total Diet Survey.

Read the full survey here

Availability of sufficient foods for a nutritious diet

This project is focused on food availability: “sufficient quantities of food of appropriate quality, supplied through domestic production or imports (including food aid)” (FAO 2011); this recognises that the irreducible base of food security is the physical ability to provide for the Nutritional needs of the population.

To view full article, click here