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George Misko, partner at respected law firm Keller & Heckman, has been a featured columnist in FOOD&DRUGpackaging since January 1994. Address comments or questions to him at 202-434-4100 or misko@khlaw.com.
Product safety issues demand-and get-center-stage attention. What will be expected of food and beverage packagers? How will they hold up when the spotlight is on them?
Several months ago, two Canadian agencies-Health Canada and Environment Canada-published a draft risk assessment for bisphenol-A (BPA). It declared that the substance is “toxic” within the meaning of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Last month we discussed the problems that U.S. companies faced during
2007 with respect to products imported from China that posed serious
health and safety concerns and subsequently had to be recalled.
One of the things
we’ll remember from 2007 is the many recalls of product imported from
China. Almost every month, the public was hit with another health scare or
product safety concern that resulted in recalls: pet food that contained
melamine, toothpaste with diethylene glycol, toys with lead-based paints.
Like everything else these
days, “green” claims have hit packaging in a big way. The
emergence of new claims, such as “renewable” and
“sustainable,” and claims about carbon offsets and renewable
energy are all the rage now. They’re being pushed by product
manufacturers, as well as by major retailers.
Santa’s not the only one making a list and checking it twice. The European
Commission (EC) is working to complete its list of plastic additives for food
packaging, and apparently is ready to grant a temporary reprieve for those
additives not currently included.
