Project description
How safe is your eco-friendly takeaway box?
Food packaging has come a long way. It is being shaped by convenience and sustainability goals. But as the industry shifts from plastics to greener materials, one question remains: are these alternatives truly safe? Unlike plastics, which are tightly regulated in the EU, newer materials often lack thorough scrutiny. Early studies have already found fluorinated chemicals and endocrine disruptors in disposable food containers. Yet their contribution to human chemical exposure is still uncertain. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SAFE-GREENPACK project will study Spain’s fast-food sector. It will carry out market mapping, contaminant analysis, and risk assessment to uncover hidden health risks and guide future safety policies.
Objective
There are two clear trends in the food industry: the demand for convenience foods and the push for increased packaging sustainability.
While take-out meals require disposable food contact materials (FCM) the packaging industry is experimenting with sustainable alternative-to-plastic solutions.
But are these materials as safe as their replacement?
Although these FCM must comply with the framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, there is no specific regulation at the European level that is as comprehensive as the Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 for plastic. As a result, the chemical composition and the health risks of these disposable FCM applications remain largely unknown.
Further investigations need to be conducted. Preliminary targeted studies detected fluorinated substances in alternative single-use tableware and fast-food packaging. These (and others) substances can then find their way into the environment or human body. A 2019 Spanish investigation detected endocrine disruptors in the body of every participant studied.
However, disposable FCM’s contribution to the population's exposure to harmful chemicals is still unclear, and a risk assessment is necessary.
The 24-month SAFE-GREENPACK project aims to contribute to filling this gap. With a growing fast-food market, Spain will serve as a proof of concept for evaluating the food safety of alternatives to disposable plastics.
First, this FCM market will be mapped by a comprehensive market study. Next, analytical data on contaminants will be provided. Those will result from an optimised workflow based on untargeted screening, prioritisation of the results and quantification of relevant substances. High-level secondments will contribute to the quality of the results. Finally, a risk assessment will highlight priorities for safety policy.
The project’s interdisciplinary approach in the rapidly evolving field of FCM’s food safety will let the fellow learn from different fields and further develop his career.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
50009 ZARAGOZA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.