On April 12th, 2021 The Prepared Foodstuffs Product Working Group (PFPWG) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) made available online two guidelines for the control systems for food contact materials (FCMs) within ASEAN Member States. The two documents, “ASEAN General Guideline on Food Contact Materials” and “ASEAN Guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practice for Food Contact Materials” are meant to be used together by industry stakeholders as part of ongoing efforts to meet global standards and promote responsible, sustainable investment.
The “ASEAN General Guideline on Food Contact Materials” is primarily targeted for users of food packaging to outline the use of safe food packaging, the traceability system to ensure FCMs comply with trade guidelines, and how to place FCMs on the market within ASEAN Member Nations.
The “ASEAN Guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practice for Food Contact Materials” defines terms relative to the manufacturing of FCMs including “good manufacturing practice”, outlines a quality assurance system, and includes an example of good manufacturing practice for the production of plastic FCMs.
The PFPWG additionally “intends to prioritize and establish the schedule for the development of specific measures for 17 groups of Food Contact Materials”: active and intelligent materials and articles, adhesives, ceramics, cork, rubbers, glass, ion-exchange resins, metals and alloys, paper and board, plastics, printing inks, regenerated cellulose, silicones, textiles, varnishes and coatings, waxes, and wood.
Read More
PFPWG.“ASEAN General Guideline on Food Contact Materials.” ASEAN (pdf)
PFPWG (November 22, 2019). “ASEAN Guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practice for Food Contact Materials.” ASEAN (pdf)
ASEAN (2020). “Purpose and History.”
