Workshop ‘How Can Bioassays Help to Assess the Suitability & Applicability of TTC as a Prioritization Tool for Unidentified NIAS in FCMs’

Brussels, Belgium
08/11/2018 – 09/11/2018

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Background
Food contact materials (FCMs) contain large numbers of chemicals, which can potentially migrate into food. They include known substances with defined technological functions, but also the so-called NIAS (Non Intentionally-Added-Substances) originating for examples from impurities in starting materials and from chemical reactions during FCM manufacturing. Many NIASs are not chemically and toxicologically characterized. While there is currently no consensus on how to identify the NIAS of concern, it has increasingly been acknowledged that an approach based on identification/quantification of all substances in FCM migrates/extracts, together with their full toxicological characterisation, is neither practical nor desirable. A recent ILSI-Europe initiative recognized the Cramer class III Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer class III-TTC) as a promising tool to determine the NIAS on which additional identification effort should focused. To apply the Cramer class III-TTC to unknown chemicals in a NIAS mixture requires excluding the presence of direct DNA-reactive mutagens. The ILSI-Europe Packaging TF convened an expert group (EG) to address the potentials of in vitro genotoxicity testing of FCM migrates/extracts to support the use of the Cramer class III-TTC for prioritization of unidentified NIASs.

Objectives
Bring together key stakeholders to critically review the work of the Expert Group. The draft manuscript shared in advance of the workshop will constitute the basis for discussion. The following topics will be addressed through three breakout working groups:

  • Sample preparation: FCM extraction versus migration studies, compatibility with bioassays
  • Bioassays for genotoxicity testing: which tests?; limit of detection for genotoxins
  • Data interpretation and use: integration of bioassay data with chemical information to decide on the applicability of the Cramer class III-TTC to prioritize NIASs

Expected Outcome
The workshop main deliverable will be a critical review of the recommendations proposed by the EG. The results of the discussions will be captured in a report to be produced soon after the workshop. It will serve to improve the draft manuscript before submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Registration

For more details about registration please contact Dr Lucie Geurts at workshop@ilsieurope.be

Programme
The programme can be found here.

PRESENTATIONS

Venue and Accommodation

The event was held at:
Thon hotel Brussels City Centre
Avenue du Boulevard 17
BE - 1210 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 205 15 11
(: +32 (0) 2 2051511  *: conference@thonhotel.be

Located next to Place Rogier and the Botanical Garden, in the centre of Brussels, the hotel is within walking distance to the railway station Bruxelles-Nord with departures to and from Brussels Airport, and in direct connection to Bruxelles-Midi with the International lines Eurostar and Thalys.

From Brussels Airport:
• From the airport railway station, direct trains leave every 10 to 15 minutes and take you in less than 15 minutes to Bruxelles Nord railway station located at a 5-minute walk from the hotel (one way fare: 8.50€). At the station, take exit Rogier/Centre and walk straight ahead, from the Rue du Progrès to the Av. du Boulevard. The hotel is on the right side. To check train schedules, click HERE.

From Brussels Midi:
• By train to Bruxelles Nord railway station located at a 5-minute walk from the hotel via Rue du Progrès. At the North station, take exit Rogier/Centre and walk straight ahead, from the Rue du Progrès to the Av. du Boulevard. The hotel is on the right side.
• By underground with line 3 or 4, the Rogier Metro Station is in direct connection with the hotel (http://www.bxel.net/metro-de-bruxelles/plan-du-metro.html).

The rate of a single room amounts to 144.24 €/night, breakfast, WIFI connection and all taxes inclusive (6% VAT + 4.24€ city tax). The supplement double room amounts to 20,- €/night. Wireless internet access is available everywhere in the whole hotel, free of charge. In addition to wireless internet, bedrooms are equipped with hair dryer, TV with satellite channels and minibar. The hotel has express check-in/check-out kiosks and a fitness club with sauna. For those travelling by car, the hotel has a parking garage (Manhattan garage). The parking ticket needs to be validated at the reception (24 hour rate: 15,- €).

The official check-in time is 14:00 and the official check-out time is 12:00.

Important Dates

15 October 2018: Cut-off date for hotel reservations

20 October 2018: Cut-off date for cancellations of registration and hotel reservations

Contact

For more information on this event and the Packaging Materials Task Force, please contact Dr Lucie Geurts, Scientific Project Manager (lgeurts@ilsieurope.be).