UPM, Ingredion and Paramelt explore the potential of starch-based barriers in recyclable paper packaging

The three companies paired starch coatings, heat-seal technology and specialty papers for food packaging uses

22-Oct-2026 - UPM, Ingredion, a global ingredient solutions company, and Paramelt, a global producer of functional coatings have joined forces to investigate how plant-based starch barrier technologies can support the development of recyclable paper-based food packaging. Starch-based technologies offer new ...

EU Packaging Regulation: What Will Change for Food Packaging Starting in 2026

PFAS limits, bans on empty containers, mandatory deposit system: TÜV SÜD explains the most important new regulations under the PPWR

08-Oct-2026 - Whether it’s tomatoes in plastic trays, avocados in mesh bags, or bell peppers sealed in plastic wrap: packaging often ends up directly in the trash. The EU Packaging Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) is intended to ensure that food packaging contains fewer harmful substances, is recycled ...

Most chemicals in food packaging lack data needed to protect consumers

Scientists propose a way forward

02-Sep-2026 - In a new peer-reviewed scientific study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, scientists from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation present a practical, novel, and scalable approach to better protect consumer health. By grouping the more than 15,000 chemicals that can be used ...

One Photo Is All It Takes: Master's Student Wins German Packaging Award

Photo is intended to show how environmentally friendly a food packaging product is: Application for an EXIST Startup Grant

21-Aug-2026 - A master’s student at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences wins the 2026 German Packaging Award in the “Young Talent” category—EcoTrace combines artificial intelligence with scientific life cycle assessment. How climate-friendly is food packaging? In the future, a single photo could ...

New EU packaging rules comes into force: PFAS banned in food-contact packaging

‘Forever Chemicals’ in food packaging such as pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags now restricted across the EU

13-Aug-2026 - The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) establishes a harmonised framework for packaging and packaging waste in the Single Market. The new rules also mark a major step towards reducing packaging waste and lowering compliance costs for the packaging industry. They will also make the ...

How ‘smart’ hydrogel packaging tells you if your food is still fresh

Freshness has a chemical signature

13-Aug-2026 - The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it? Researchers at Kyushu University think the packaging itself should do the telling. In a study published in Chemical Engineering ...

Fibre-based packaging to claim top market share in food sector by 2045

New UPM/Smithers study: share rises from 37% to 42%, driven by barrier coating breakthroughs and EPR regulation

02-Jul-2026 - A new study from UPM Specialty Materials and global consultancy Smithers points to changing dynamics in the food packaging landscape, with fibre-based materials taking the leading share by 2045, recycling rates climbing toward 37%, and a regulatory landscape where sustainability becomes a strict ...

Less Plastic Waste in the Takeout Sector

Oldenburg High School Students Win ALTANA Special Prize in Chemistry

29-Jun-2026 - Kaja Charlotte Hammels and Tue Minh Vu from the Altes Gymnasium Oldenburg developed the business idea “TerraTin“: single-use packaging made from wheat starch that does not contain any crude oil and is biodegradable. For this, they received the ALTANA Special Prize in Chemistry at the national ...

Stora Enso’s Oulu pulp production granted internationally recognized food safety certification – first in Finland

11-Jun-2026 - Stora Enso’s Oulu business unit hosts Finland’s first pulp mill to achieve FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification), strengthening food safety assurance across the entire value chain for packaging customers. For customers, the certification and its systematic approach provide added ...

Starch Instead of Plastic: Colombian Startup Reinventing Fruit Packaging

Natupla: From ISC3 start-up of the month to a pioneer in starch-based, biodegradable plastics

21-Apr-2026 - For its contribution to Sustainable Chemistry, Natupla (Natural Plastic) was recognised as Start-up of the Month by the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) in September 2022. The Colombian start-up, which had been founded just one year earlier, developed a starch-based ...