Associate Kelsey Anliker to Present at CAD RETEC® 2026
Keller and Heckman Associate Kelsey Anliker is slated to present at the 64th Annual Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Color and Appearance Division (CAD) RETEC® conference, taking place in Louisville, Kentucky, from September 13–15, 2026.
As North America’s longest running and largest technical conference dedicated exclusively to the coloring of plastics, CAD RETEC® serves as the premier global hub for research in color science, measurement, and aesthetics. The annual summit bridges the gap between advanced polymer chemistry and real-world industrial applications, making it a critical staging ground for discussing the heavily regulated world of food-contact materials.
Kelsey’s presentation, titled “Update on the Regulation of Chemicals in Food Packaging,” will highlight critical federal and state developments that are rapidly reshaping the compliance landscape for food-contact substances, colorants, and packaging additives.
Drawing on her background in biochemistry and her practice advising domestic and international clients on food and drug packaging laws, Kelsey’s session will focus heavily on two major policy overhauls at the federal level:
- FDA’s Post-Market Assessment Program: A look at the implications of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA's) finalized systematic process for the post-market safety evaluation of chemicals already in the food supply, which directly encompasses food-contact substances.
- The GRAS Exemption Overhaul: An analysis of the FDA’s recent activity and highly anticipated forthcoming rulemaking regarding the “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) exemption—a shift that could introduce sweeping structural changes to how substances used in food packaging are cleared for the U.S. market.
Additionally, the presentation will address recent updates to the FDA’s regulation of approved color additives, as well as critical state-level “chemicals of concern” laws targeting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other high-scrutiny compounds.
Sponsored by SPE CAD, the conference provides the global plastics community with vital opportunities for technical training, research updates, and professional education. For more details on the session schedules, networking receptions, or to register for the event, visit the official SPE CAD RETEC® conference page.