[at-l] Cooling in Plastic

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

This from EU is found at
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/archive/2000/ce37420001228en.html; scroll
down to article 211 to read it in .pdf format (Acrobat Reader required)

(2000/C 374 E/250) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1234/00
by Karin Scheele (PSE) to the Commission
(10 April 2000)
Subject: The softener diethylhexyladepate in PVC
In the retail food trade in Austria, food items available for self-service,
such as cheese in portions are
generally wrapped in cling-film (which may be made from PVC) to keep them
fresh. These PVC films
contain the softener diethylhexyladepate, which is suspected of being
dangerous to health. In some cases
this softener is added to foodstuffs, particularly those with a high fat
content.
Commission Directive 89/109/EEC of 21 December 1989 ( 1 ) (as amended by
Dir. 95/3/EEC ( 2 )), relating to
materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, sets a
general limit value of 60 mg/kg.
A study carried out by the Salzburg (Austria) food research institute
showed, however, that this value was
exceeded in 73 % of cases, sometimes by up to four times the acceptable
daily intake.
1. Has the Commission recently carried out or ordered any studies on
possible health risks of
diethylhexyladepate, or has it any plans to do so in the near future? If
studies already exist, what were
the results of these studies?
2. Has the Commission considered the possibilities of banning PVC films
(particularly those containing
the softener diethylhexyladepate) as food packagings?
3. Is the Commission planning to prescribe a particular limit value for
diethylhexyladepate? If so, what
limit value does it propose?
( 1 ) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 38.
( 2 ) OJ L 41, 23.2.1995, p. 44.
Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission
(10 May 2000)
1. The Commission is aware of the problem of migration of plasticisers into
fatty foodstuffs, and has
therefore requested the advice of the scientific committee on food (SCF) on
the toxicity of diethylhex-
yladipate (DEHA). The SCF is the scientific committee which deals with all
issues related to food contact
materials. The SCF, in its session of 16 December 1994, established a
tolerable daily intake (TDI) for this
substance of 0,3 milligrammes per kilogramme body weight (mg/kg b.w). This
means that a 60 kg person
can tolerate daily during his lifetime a dietary exposure of 18 mg DEHA. Two
studies were carried out by
the Ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries (MAFF) of the United Kingdom
to estimate the real exposure
of the consumer, by taking into account the level of DEHA in the daily diet
in the United Kingdom. Both
surveys indicated that the estimated exposure of the consumer was lower (and
in the second survey,
substantially lower) than the tolerable value established by the SCF.
2. No. A ban on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films (particularly those
containing the softener diethylhex-
yladipate), does not appear justified on the basis of the available
scientific evidence at present. However,
the Commission will continue to monitor developments in this area.
3. Yes. The Commission is preparing a new amendment of Commission Directive
90/128/EEC of
23 February 1990 relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come
into contact with foodstuffs ( 1 )
to regulate the specific migration of DEHA. It is premature at this stage to
indicate the future value of the
specific migration limit. In fact, the consultation of the interested
parties (Member States, enforcement
laboratories, etc.) is not yet finished, and other statistical data are
expected which may affect the estimation
of the real exposure and the Commission position on this issue.
( 1 ) OJ L 75, 21.3.1990.


> Here's a question for you folks cooking in plastic bags. Searching for
some
> conclusive info too.
>
>  Do you worry about the heat releasing bad stuff from the plastics?