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Supply chain cooperation crucial in meeting regulations - Intertek

By Joseph James Whitworth

- Last updated on GMT

Intertek talks food contact and migration regulations with FoodProductionDaily. Photo courtesy of Intertek
Intertek talks food contact and migration regulations with FoodProductionDaily. Photo courtesy of Intertek

Related tags Food contact Food contact materials Packaging Packaging and labeling

Cooperation in the supply chain is crucial to ensure packaging materials meet the necessary food contact and migration regulations, according to a testing laboratory.

Intertek said they advise firms to work together throughout the value chain in supplying verified substances, materials and products to ensure no problems are encountered further down the line.

EU regulation EC 1935/2004 is the framework regulation for food contact materials and is mandatory for all food contact materials inEuropecovering plastics, paper, glass and others.

Plastic food packaging materials and plastic food contact materials need to comply with regulation EU 10/2011. Part of this regulation covers overall migration and specific migration testing on monomers and additives.

Focus on plastic packaging

The highest focus lies currently on plastic packaging when it comes to migration and food contact compliance, said Nadine Thomis, business development consultant food contact safety services.

The time taken to receive final test results varies on the test conditions and number of tests required, she told FoodProductionDaily.com.

In addition computer modelling can be used to verify the migration characteristics of the products, these models do represent a worst case approach. The balance between computer modelling and analytical testing depends on the information available, such as concentrations of substances and the density.

Thomis said that analytical techniques now allow low levels of parts per billion to be identified, this means more substance can be detected.

Union list

Only monomers and additives listed in the so called “Union List”, which is a positive list, may be used on plastic food contact products. The substances in this list have been evaluated based on toxicological data and research studies.

“If [a substance] is not on the positive list a notification for petition can be filed and EFSA evaluate these new substances so they are checked and evaluated by EFSA before being placed on the market.” 

“It is very important that manufacturers make sure their materials are compliant with relevant regulations  as brand owners do want to avoid recalls at any time, besides companies wanting to supply safe products, there is a cost aspect and the  risk of image damage  which can last for many years,” ​said Thomis.

“There is more and more cooperation and a willingness to share information, if manufacturers don’t want to disclose this information due to intellectual property, they can work with independent third parties and secrecy agreements with,” ​she added.

“If they don’t disclose information, the process does not work, the industry is aware of the need to work together for placing a compliant product on the market.”  

Substance of note

Intertek is working throughout the whole value chain of food contact materials and products to assist companies in the supply chain in fulfilling certain requirements, starting with the notification of food contact substances, via migration testing till document checks.

“There are numerous substances like printing inks, adhesives and colorants which are not regulated at EU level. In some cases materials regulations or recommendations are listed on Member State level, for example via the German Bfr or the Dutch VWA.

“The development of new regulation and guidelines is ongoing, for example Germany is one country working on a printing inks document expected later this year.”

Intertek helps clients get compliant with applicable regulations for non-plastic food contact materials such as paper and board and printing inks, for which documentation is not as comprehensive as the regulations for plastic.

“With nanoparticles, is there a risk or not? The task is to prove it. In active and intelligent packaging there have been developments in EU regulations with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluating each active or intelligence substance used in the packaging material before it can be brought onto the market,” ​Thomis added. 

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