In a joint letter published February 15, 2021, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands together demand the withdrawal of bamboo melamine plastic products from the EU market, which are not compliant with article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011.
Many bamboo plastic products have been found to often exceed specific migration limits set in the regulation for melamine and formaldehyde, therefore posing a potential health risk to consumers (FPF reported). In the letter, the three national government agencies criticize that a wide of products made from melamine plastics, e.g. kitchen and tableware, can still be found on the EU market even though such composite materials were found by the European Commission (EC) to not be authorized for food contact articles according to article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (FPF reported).
With this letter, the authors want to raise awareness that these prohibited additives can still be found in products on the EU market and make it clear that “business operators will have to withdraw ‘bamboo melamine materials’ and articles [..] immediately.”
Furthermore, the undersigned authorities announced in their letter that they will reinforce market controls and pursue violations of these products under current EU legislation from the second quarter of 2021.
Reference
Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (Feburary 15, 2021). “Benelux statement on bamboo or other unauthorized additives.” (pdf)
Read More
Jaap C. Hanekamp (April 16, 2021). “A Short Critique on the Stance of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority on Melamine Polymer Formaldehyde Exposures.” SAGE
Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (Feburary 4, 2021). “Advice from BuRO on health risks of bamboo cups.” (in Dutch)
SGS (March 8, 2021). “Several EU Member States Announce the Prohibition of Food Contact Bamboo-Melamine Plastics.”
