Food can be many things, including a reflection of culture, religion and heritage, or a way to build social connections and community. However, for the 44west team, it was the critical energy source powering their 31-day crossing in the World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic 2026, where every meal had to be safely packaged, resilient and entirely reliable because nothing could be replaced at sea.
Why food packaging safety matters
Food packaging plays an essential role in everyday life. From the ingredients we bring home from the store to the snacks we consume when on the move, it serves as an essential barrier that preserves quality, prevents contamination and maintains safety until consumption.
If packaging materials are unsafe, however, they can become a source of risk. Because packaging remains in direct contact with food, chemical substances may migrate into food and subsequently into the human body. Migration testing is therefore the most reliable method to verify compliance and consumer safety.
In extreme conditions such as an Atlantic rowing race, risks increase. High humidity, salt exposure, temperature fluctuations and constant movement can accelerate chemical migration. To reflect these stressors, enhanced testing conditions were applied beyond standard requirements, ensuring the 44west team’s protein powder remained safe throughout the journey. Safe packaging is directly linked to safe nutrition and athlete health.
Regulations
Food contact material (FCM) regulations exist worldwide to protect consumers from harmful chemical migration. While frameworks differ by region, they share a core principle: only authorized substances may be used in FCM and strict migration limits must not be exceeded. These limits form the basis of compliance testing.
In the European Union (EU), food contact plastics must comply with Regulation No. 10/2011. However, additional national provisions may also apply, such as Italy’s color migration requirements and Germany’s specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) limits. Beyond the EU, brands must also consider the requirements enforced in markets such as the US, Canada, Mercosur and several Asian jurisdictions. Regulatory frameworks continue to evolve; for example, the EU has recently updated regulations for bisphenols in certain FCM and Mercosur has updated its technical regulation for food contact silicone materials.
For the 44west food packaging, we verified compliance with EU legislation, including:
- Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 – general principles and requirements for FCM
- Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 – specific rules for food contact plastic materials and articles – recently modified by Regulation (EU) 2024/351
- Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 – Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation
In addition, materials were evaluated against performance expectations under extreme marine conditions, including salt, humidity and temperature stress.
Testing
Testing is essential to confirm suitability for food contact. The 44west packaging was assessed for:
- Overall and specific migrations, including:
- Heavy metals – to assess potential toxicity at trace levels
- Primary aromatic amines (PAAs) – associated with carcinogenic risk and often linked to certain colorants
- Monomers (terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol) – the building blocks of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – to verify that incomplete polymerization or environmental stress (heat, humidity, salt exposure) would not cause migration
- Bisphenol A (BPA) and other regulated bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives, which can disrupt the endocrine system and affect growth and development
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – persistent ‘forever chemicals’ known for bioaccumulation and long-term health concerns
Results
Testing was conducted in our Shanghai laboratory under EU regulatory frameworks, with additional safety parameters reflecting extreme marine conditions.
The food container (body and lid) passed both overall and specific migration tests, with no detectable heavy metals, PAAs, terephthalic acid or ethylene glycol. The protein-powder packaging met the new bisphenol limit of 1 ppb (applicable from July 2026), and PFAS screening across 630 substances showed no detectable PFAS.
Overall, all items were confirmed as compliant with EU requirements, safe for food contact and suitable for prolonged exposure to extreme Atlantic conditions.
SGS solutions
We provide comprehensive support for ensuring the safety and compliance of FCM. Our technical experts bring extensive experience across global regulatory frameworks, helping manufacturers meet requirements in Europe, the USA, Canada, Mercosur and Asia‑Pacific. Our services include:
- Overall and specific migration tests
- Analytical screening for regulated and emerging substances
- Documentation review and compliance strategy
- Technical guidance on evolving legislation
Beyond regulatory testing, we also help support sustainability objectives. Single‑use food packaging, like that relied upon by the 44west team, contributes to environmental impact. We work with manufacturers to design safer, more sustainable packaging solutions, evaluate recyclability and explore reuse pathways.
Whether improving safety, ensuring global compliance or advancing sustainable packaging, we help organizations meet their FCM testing and development goals with confidence. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about our food contact material services.
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