Read the full article by Vanessa Srebny (Food Packaging Forum)

“In an article from April 26, 2021, news provider Chemical Watch reported on the announcement from Environmental and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada planning to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as a class and asking for feedback on unforeseeable ‘challenges and opportunities.’

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists more than 9,000 PFAS compounds as widely used as surfactants, lubricants, and repellents in food contact materials (FCMs). PFAS are highly persistent, ubiquitous substances, and their presence has been linked to negative impacts on human health and the environment. Since regulating each PFAS individually has been seen by many stakeholders as very slow and impractical, the Canadian government plans to adopt a class-based assessment approach going forward for PFAS.

Further, the authorities announced they will: (1) continue to invest in PFAS-related research and monitoring, (2) collect and examine information on implementing a class-based approach, and (3) review developments in other jurisdictions…”