|
|
 |
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THE FOOD BAG YOU WRAP YOUR SANDWICHES IN IS SAFE?
Food contact materials are all materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. These materials are liable to migrate. It means that undesirable substances may transfer from the packaging or article to the foodstuff.
Any article that comes into contact with food should not:
- endanger human health,
- bring about an unacceptable change in composition of food,
- bring about deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics of food (change the smell),
- mislead the customer with the labelling, advertising and presentation.
SGS can assist you to ensure that your products comply with the applicable regulations for food contact materials.
- Food Contact Materials Services
- Products Covered
- Legislation
- SGS Advantages
- Other SGS Value-added Services
1. Food Contact Services
SGS offers expertise, analytical testing and consultancy services (labeling requirements, etc) for plastic and non-plastic materials intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, including:
- durability
- heat resistance
- coating performance
- microwave and dishwashing test
- water absorption
- global and specific migrations
- etc
The degree of migration into food will depend on the circumstances under which the contact takes place. Important factors are time, temperature and contact surface.
Top
2. Products Covered
Food contact materials are:
- Food packaging material,
- All house ware items that intended to come into contact with food: ceramics, glasses, pots and pans, cutlery, dishes, containers, etc
Any product that comes into contact with food from a paper plate to a plastic salad bowl should undergo suitable testing. It is necessary to measure the amount of material in a plastic which migrates when in contact with a liquid for example during storage.
Top
3. Legislation
Food contact materials should be safe and should not transfer their components into the foodstuff in unacceptable quantities. The transfer of constituents from food contact materials into food is called migration. To ensure the protection of the health of the consumer and to avoid any contamination of the foodstuff two types of migration limits have been established for plastic materials:
- an Overall Migration Limit (OML) of 60mg (of substances)/kg that applies to all substances that can migrate from food contact materials to foodstuffs, and
- a Specific Migration Limit (SML) which applies to individual authorized substances.
The harmonisation at EU level of the legislation on food contact materials aims at protecting the health of the consumer. The legislation concerning food contact materials is only partial harmonized in Europe. The specific requirements are subdivided by material.
Food contact materials and articles are regulated by:
- The new Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Foodstuffs lays down the general safety requirements for all materials and articles that come into contact with food. The regulations also ensure that they do not change the nature, substance or quality of the food.
- Specific Directives cover single groups of materials and articles listed in the Framework Regulation
- Ceramics are regulated by Council Directive 84/500/EEC as amended by Directive 2005/31/EC. The Directive sets migration limits for cadmium and lead which might be released from decoration and/or glazing.
- Regenerated cellulose film is regulated by Commission Directive 2007/42/EC. This Directive sets a positive list of authorised substances and the conditions under which they can be used.
- Plastics are regulated by the new Commission Directive 2002/72/EC. It mainly modified the lists of authorised substances such as monomers and additives.
- Directives on Individual Substances or groups of substances used in the manufacture of materials and articles intended for food contact. Three groups of substances are regulated individually in specific directives:
- Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) in food contact materials and articles is regulated by Council Directive 78/142/EEC.
- Nitrosamines in rubber teats and soothers are regulated by Commission Directive 93/11/EEC.
- BADGE, BFDGE & NOGE in plastics, coatings and adhesives are regulated by Commission Regulation (EC) 1895/2005.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): visit the FDA website to know more about the US legislation for food contact materials.
California: Know more about impact of California Proposition 65 on Ceramic Materials.
Top
4. SGS Advantages
- Expert advice on current legislation for materials and articles in contact with food,
- Member of SGS international food contact committee as senior expert,
- Accreditation for overall migration in aqueous and olive oil food stimulants for plastic articles,
- Accreditation for migration from ceramic articles,
- A modern equipment for huge capacities.
Top
5. Other SGS Value-Added Services
SGS Services for Packaging
 Contact your local SGS office
Know more about Consumer Products covered
Know more about Restricted Substances Services
|
