US health regulators will not ban 25 plasticizers from food packaging

US health regulators received an objection to their decision to remove 25 plasticizers from food packaging rules. They reviewed the objection and decided not to change their original decision. This means these plasticizers will remain legal for use in food packaging.

For years, environmental groups have pushed to remove certain plasticizers, called ortho-phthalates, from food packaging. These chemicals are linked to health concerns. The regulators had initially moved to ban them because companies had stopped using them anyway. This decision means the door remains open for these chemicals to be used again, even if they are not currently in widespread use.