In a press release published on March 29, 2018, Democratic senator from California Dianne Feinstein announced plans to introduce legislation banning phthalates in food packaging, envisaging a phase-out over the next 5 years. Her statement came in response to a recent scientific study linking eating out at restaurants with increased urinary phthalate levels.

In August 2017, New York’s Democratic senator Chuck Schumer also expressed concern over the use of phthalates in food packaging. He called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the safety of phthalates and ban the chemicals in food packaging if found harmful.

Moreover, in April 2016, 10 NGOs petitioned FDA to review the regulatory clearances for 30 ortho-phthalates used in food packaging. The petition also requested the removal of five ortho-phthalates as prior-sanctioned substances in Part 181.27 of 21C.F.R and banning of eight ortho-phthalates through a new regulation in Part 189 of 21C.F.R.

The safety of phthalates used in food packaging has always raised concerns, and as of now no uniform decision has been reached as to whether its application in food contact materials is safe or not.