In an article published on May 28, 2019, regulatory news provider Chemical Watch informed about a recent recommendation by the European Commission (EC) asking EU Member States to test for specific substances migrating from food contact materials (FCMs) and articles. The commission cites information from the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) indicating “various non-compliances as regards migration of certain substances from food contact materials” but noting that “at present there is inadequate information to sufficiently determine the prevalence of these substances in food migrating from food contact materials.” The EC’s recommendation aims to identify the prevalence of a set of substances migrating from FCMs and articles, but “it is not intended to contribute to the understanding of exposure levels.”
The following substances are included in the recommendation for testing:
- primary aromatic amines (PAAs)
- formaldehyde (CAS 50-00-0)
- melamine (CAS 108-78-1)
- phenol (CAS 108-95-2)
- bisphenols, including BPA (CAS 80-05-7) and BPS (CAS 80-09-1)
- phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers
- fluorinated compounds including PFOS (CAS 1763-23-1) and PFOA (CAS 335-67-1)
- metals and alloys, including lead and cadmium
The EC asked Member States to report information resulting from testing and to also provide any relevant information from testing carried out within the past five years. If testing results identify non-compliance with EU regulations, “the competent authorities of the Member States should consider enforcement action.” The data generated through the testing of these substances is set to potentially inform or highlight a need(s) for future EU regulations.
Read More
Chemical Watch (May 28, 2019). “EU seeks to establish prevalence of chemicals in FCMs.”
EUWID Verpackung (June 17, 2019). “Lebensmittelkontaktmaterialien: EU empfiehlt koordinierten Kontrollplan.”
Reference
European Commission (May 15, 2019). “Commission Recommendation (EU) 2019/794 of 15 May 2019 on a coordinated control plan with a view to establishing the prevalence of certain substances migrating from materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (notified under document C(2019) 3519).”
