JRC Issues Updated Kitchenware Testing Guideline

SafeGuardSHardgoodsDecember 16, 2025

SG 184/25

The European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) has published the latest guidelines for testing kitchenware.

On November 28, 2025, the JRC announced the 5ᵗʰ Edition of ‘Testing conditions for kitchenware articles in contact with foodstuffs. The detailed Annexes included in this updated technical guide replace JRC’s ‘Testing conditions for kitchenware articles in contact with foodstuffs; plastics, metals, silicone & rubber, paper & board (4ᵗʰ Edition, 2023).

Key highlights of the 5^th Edition are summarized in Table 1.

Section to 5th Edition	Highlight
Annex 1 ‘Kitchenware examples’	Introduces the following examples of kitchenware: Can with lid (FC/CAH2) Immersed wine chiller (FSI/CA2) Long stem glasses (FSU/CA4) Toothpick (PFU/CAH1) Toothpick and finger food skewers (FSI/CAH1)
Annex 2 ‘Testing conditions for plastics’	Selects food simulants in accordance with Annex III of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on food contact plastics
Annex 3 ‘Test conditions for inorganic materials and inorganic coatings’	Sets forth migration test conditions for materials and coatings such as metals, alloys, ceramics, glass, stoneware and enamels Food simulant for metallic articles should be in accordance with national legislation or the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare’s (EDQM’s) Practical Guideline for Manufacturers an Regulators on ‘Metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles’ (SafeGuardS 125/24)
Annex 4 ‘Test conditions for organic materials (other than plastic) and organic coatings’	Stipulates migration test conditions for materials and coatings like silicones, rubber, organic coatings such as epoxy coating, treated paper and board, cork, bamboo, wood and other natural materials Directs the use of food simulants in Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on food contact plastics where national legislation or recommendations from national authorities are not available Details the limitation of the test conditions in the point above for paper and board articles
Annex 5 ‘Test conditions for untreated/non-coated paper and board’	Indicates that these conditions also apply to treated or coated paper and board articles that do not withstand migration test conditions and food simulants under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on food contact plastics Specifies that the selected methods are based on EDQM’s ‘Paper and board used in food contact materials and articles’ (SafeGuardS 116/21) and current CEN standards for food contact paper and boards: EN 645:1993 ‘Cold water extract’ EN 647:1993 ‘EN 645:1993 ‘Hot water extract’ EN 15519:2007 ‘Organic solvent extract’ EN 14338:2004 ‘Modified polyphenylene oxide (MPPO) as a simulant’
Annex 6 ‘Rationale for the selection of test time and temperature for specific migration	Outlines the rationale for selecting test conditions (time and temperature) for different types of materials

Table 1

This updated technical guideline is effective immediately.

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