Semicarbazide leaching
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the contamination of food from semicarbazide (SEM) in packaging is safe, and not sufficiently carcinogenic to pose health risks.
This follows a detailed inquiry, which found exposure levels potentially causing cancer are five times higher than those reasonably expected for adults and infants.
Semicarbazide is mainly present in food through migration from sealing gaskets for metal lids of jars and bottles, via a leaching of azodicarbonamide, a blowing agent.
The study noted the highest potential intakes of SEM was in infants consuming ready-to-feed infant milk and baby food. But even this worst-case scenario of 0.35 to 1.4 mg/kg bw/day did not pose cancer risks, said EFSA. www.efsa.eu.int/science/afc/afc_opinions/1005/afc_op_ej219_semicarbazide_en1.pdf
Tetra deal
The European Commission has cleared the takeover by Swiss food packaging giant Tetra Laval of Italian food and drink filling and packaging company SIG Simonazzi, without imposing conditions.
This follows a Brussels investigation focusing on the potential competition problems caused through their joint interests in aseptic PET and HDPE plastic packaging filling machines and non-aseptic PET filling machines.
Commission officials however found the merged company would "continue to face a number of competitors who are active in these markets".
Moreover, their report added: "Customers have indicated that there will remain alternative suppliers able to provide them with the machines required and therefore have expressed no concern about the (takeover)."
