Smart Net-Zero

May 13, 2026 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |

A new FAO report highlights the chemical safety risks posed by the growing use of recycled plastics in food packaging and calls for globally harmonized standards to govern their use. The report, Food safety implications of recycled plastics and alternative food contact materials, notes that the global food packaging market, valued at $505.27 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $815.51 billion by 2030, is shifting toward recycled materials for sustainability reasons, yet less than 10% of plastic waste has been recycled to date. Key concerns include potential chemical migration from packaging into food, new hazards from bio-based materials derived from crops such as corn and cassava, and the absence of validated analytical methods to detect micro- and nanoplastics. FAO called for effective cleaning processes in plastic recycling, waste stream sorting systems, and international regulatory harmonization through the Codex Alimentarius Commission.