EFSA launches a public consultation on phthalates in food contact materials

EFSA has launched a public consultation on the draft update of its 2005 risk assessment of five phthalates which are authorised for use in plastic food contact materials.

For the updated draft opinion, EFSA’s Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) has established a group tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 µg/kg bw per day for four of the substances – di-butylphthalate (DBP), butylbenzylphthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), and di-isononylphthalate (DINP).

Combined dietary exposure to DBP, BBP, DEHP and DINP is estimated to be less than one quarter of the group TDI for all European consumers, including the most sensitive population groups, even in the worst-case scenario. For DIDP, dietary exposure is approximately 1,500 fold below the individual TDI.

The closing date for the submission of comments is 14 April 2019.