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Substances Chimiques
01/04/2015 —
News

A website dedicated to EU work on safety threshold values for chemical emissions from consumer goods

Construction materials, furniture and decoration products can be sources of indoor pollution due to the potentially harmful chemicals they sometimes release. Several European countries, including France, have drafted protocols and lowest concentrations of interest (LCIs) in order to qualify the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of some of these consumer goods. The goal of the LCI values is to prevent the onset of health effects due to long-term exposure to chemicals released from consumer goods. In collaboration with other European organisations and stakeholders, ANSES participated in work on the European harmonisation of these protocols and LCIs. This EU-level work, begun in 2011, is now widely available thanks to the creation of a dedicated website, eu-lci.org .
19/03/2015 —
News

ECHA launches a public consultation on substitution of the active biocidal substance PHMB

On 9 February 2015, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launched a public consultation on its web site regarding substitution of the active biocidal substance PHMB, used mainly as a disinfectant and preservative. This consultation follows on from the assessment conducted by ANSES on PHMB, considered to be very persistent (vP) and toxic (T), two conditions which lead to its being considered a candidate for substitution, in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products. The goal of this public consultation, which is open through 10 April 2015, is to gather relevant information on this substance, and in particular on available substitutes.
17/03/2015 —
News

ANSES and INRS strengthen their partnership with a four-year framework agreement

On 4 March 2015, The French Agency for Food, Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety (ANSES) and the French Institute for Research and Security (INRS) signed a partnership agreement which strengthens the ties they have established over several years for the assessment and prevention of occupational health risks. The main areas of cooperation involve support by INRS experts and laboratories for the ANSES-run expert committees for risk assessment (OELs, chemical substances, REACh & CLP regulations, nanoparticles) and the production of knowledge on occupational exposure.
Nanoparticules
10/03/2015 —
News

Exposure to silver nanoparticles: update of knowledge

Silver nanoparticles are used in various industrial applications, in sectors such as food (additives, food packaging, internal linings of refrigerators), textiles (clothing and bedding) and cosmetic and hygiene products (toothbrushes, hair straighteners, disinfectant sprays, etc .). They are mainly used for their antibacterial and antifungal properties. However, it is still proving very difficult to obtain an inventory referencing all products containing silver nanoparticles in France and elsewhere in the world. In 2011, ANSES received a formal request to update knowledge on the assessment of health and environmental risks associated with exposure to silver nanoparticles. In the Opinion it is publishing today, the Agency stresses the research that has been carried out to examine the potential health and environmental effects of silver nanoparticles but notes that this is still insufficient to allow the health risks to be assessed. Nevertheless, based on the conclusions of its Opinion of April 2014 on the risks associated with manufactured nanomaterials, ANSES recommends limiting the marketing of products containing silver nanoparticlesto applications whose advantages have been clearly demonstrated.
27/02/2015 —
News

ANSES and FREDON France sign a framework cooperation agreement

On 26 February 2015, Marc Mortureux, Director General of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and Jean-Paul Dalies, President of FREDON France (National Federation for control of harmful organisms) have signed a framework agreement whose goal is to strengthen the current relationship between the two bodies in the field of plant health and invasive plants.
26/02/2015 —
News

Creation of a training course in toxicology and ecotoxicology: Metatox

ANSES and INERIS today have signed a cooperation agreement with AgroParisTech , at the International Agricultural Show in Paris, to set up a new training module for engineering students. Under the agreement, the three agencies will train engineers to understand current environmental and health issues, with a view to the assessment and management of risks related to the presence of contaminants in the environment. The purpose of this agreement is to define the nature of the partnership between AgroParisTech, ANSES and INERIS, who wish to work together on a Major (“Dominante d’Approfondissement”) for students in the 3 rd year of the engineering course entitled Metatox: "From the assessment to the management of toxicological risks to the health of ecosystems and humans". ANSES and INERIS will participate in the training alongside AgroParisTech via occasional contributions by professionals, offers of internships and projects. This course will commence in the new academic year, in September 2015.
Emballages Alimentaires
25/02/2015 —
News

Food packaging: reheating at exceedingly high temperatures increases the risk of substance migration

Changing dietary behaviour and consumption patterns have prompted industry to offer innovative solutions in the field of food packaging, in particular linked with nomadic lifestyles, the convenience of packaging or its environmental impact. In the framework of a research & development partnership agreement with the French National Consumer Institute, ANSES carried out a comparative study on food packaging that can be heated in conventional ovens, microwave ovens or by steam. The results of this study show that while the migration of substances from the packaging to the food is generally low and below the regulatory values, it can increase significantly in the case of non-compliance with instructions for reheating. To limit these risks of migration, ANSES therefore recommends carefully following the manufacturers' instructions in this regard.
11/02/2015 —
News

Drafting guides to good hygiene practice: new tools for professionals available on-line

Guides to good hygiene practice (GGHP) and the application of HACCP (1) principles are drafted to help agrifood professionals control the safety of the products they manufacture and to help them comply with regulatory obligations. These reference documents are written by the various professional branches for the industry players in their sector. To help them create these guides, ANSES provides technical support in the form of descriptive fact sheets on foodborne biological hazards. A dedicated area has also been created on the Agency’s website to provide short, informative "tools" fact sheets to help with the drafting of GGHP guides.
03/02/2015 —
News

ANSES and its Chinese counterpart sign a cooperation agreement to promote convergence in food safety standards and monitoring methods

In the framework of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls's official visit to China, ANSES Director General Marc Mortureux signed a cooperation agreement with the Agency's Chinese counterpart, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA). The cooperation programmes will mainly involve the training of experts and technicians in food analysis and monitoring methods, both in the area of microbiology and chemistry; the comparison of the standards in force in Europe and in China, in the context of their current revision by the CFSA; and risk assessment methodologies.

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