Paraguay has informed the WTO of Mercosur’s intention to revise the requirements for food contact plastics.
In July 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) circulated two notifications from Paraguay announcing the intention of Mercosur (Southern Common Market) to revise two technical regulations on food contact plastic materials and articles.
These two pieces of draft legislation are:
- Mercosur/LXXII SGT No. 3/P Resolution No. 2/20 (draft Resolution No. 02/20), attached to WTO document number 20-5191, to revise sections 5 and 7 of the Annex to GMC Resolution No. 56/92 ‘General provisions for food contact plastics’. The draft Resolution would revise the overall migration limits of 50 mg/kg or 8 mg/dm² and their requirements, as well as only allowing colorants and pigments meeting a specific Mercosur Technical Regulation to be used
- Mercosur/LXXII SGT No. 3/P Resolution No. 3/20 (draft Resolution No. 03/20), attached to WTO document number 20-5192, to revise GMC Resolution No. 02/12 ‘Positive list of monomers, other starting substances and polymers authorized for the manufacture of food contact plastics’. The draft Resolution, inter alia, adds 19 new substances, and amends the restriction of several substances – including the migration of bisphenol A (BPA) from 0.6 mg/kg to 0.05 mg/kg
When approved, members of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) are required to transpose these Resolutions into their national law for implementation.
Highlights of certain provisions in draft Resolution Nos. 2/20 and 3/20 are summarized in Table 1.
| Draft Resolution No. | Highlight on Food Contact Plastics |
|---|---|
| 02/20 amending GMC Resolution No. 56/92 | Overall migration (OM) requirements: ≤ 10 mg/dm² for food contact plastics ≤ 60 mg/kg for food contact plastics with a defined volume or for children under the age of 3 |
| 03/20 amending GMC Resolution No. 2/12 | Specific migration (SM) requirements: ≤ 0.05 mg/kg (BPA¹) |
| ¹Prohibited for polymers in feeding bottles and similar items for children under the age of 3 ²Salts, including double salts and acid salts, from approved acids, phenols and alcohols are authorized | |
Table 1
SGS technical experts have extensive knowledge and testing experience in materials and articles in contact with food. They work to ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials and pave the way for compliance. From overall migration test to expert advices on emerging regulations and compliance issues and documentation review, SGS is the partner to trust. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or visit our website.
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