Members of the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA) have expressed concerns that the European Commission will publish its first authorization list of active and intelligent substances allowed for food contact materials without sufficient consultation with industry. AIPA commented that the current authorization process only involved European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the decision making process.
The first European Union list of active and intelligent packaging materials authorized for food contact is scheduled for publication in the course of 2013. The list may include substances for which the following criteria have been fulfilled; an application was submitted to EFSA, the scientific review carried out by EFSA deemed them suitable for the use in food contact materials (FCM) and the European Commission authorizes them for the use in FCMs. The deadline for submissions closed in February 2011 and substances are now being evaluated for their safety. The scientific opinions published by EFSA will inform the authorization process of the European Commission. Once the list is published by the European Commission, substances other than those specifically authorized for use in active and intelligent packaging can no longer be marketed (EC 450/2009), until then such compounds must comply with the Framework Regulation (EC 1935/2004).
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