On June 2, 2017, the European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) published the summary of the latest meeting of the Working Group on food contact materials (FCMs) of the toxicological safety section of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SC-PAFF). The meeting was held on May 4-5, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.
One topic discussed at the meeting concerned the presence of fluorinated substances in fast food packaging, addressed in the presentations by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration of the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, and by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). The presentations covered the results of recent surveys on the presence of per- and polyfluorinated substances in fast food packaging in Europe (FPF reported) and the U.S. (FPF reported). In response to these presentations, EC services “reminded that under Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 only the amount transferred to the food is relevant and that this should be the basis for risk assessment and enforcement.” Further discussion concerned detection methods and the need for developing “adequate migration testing methods.”
The initial results of the online survey on information in the supply chain (FPF reported) were presented, but “the data had not yet been sufficiently analyzed for conclusions.” It is planned that this initial limited survey will be followed up by “more in-depth studies.”
The roadmap for the planned ex-post evaluation of Food Contact Materials (FCMs) Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (FPF reported) was then discussed. The EC informed that the Member States will be given “sufficient time for comments, where such comments are appropriate in view of the procedures.”
With regard to the initiative to monitor mineral oil hydrocarbons in food (FPF reported), the EC’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) informed that, in the guideline it is currently working on, it plans to add a clarification regarding the procedure for reporting the monitoring data to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Further discussion points concerned the preparation of the Union Measure on printed FCMs (FPF reported), and the summary informs that a presentation on the matter “will be made available as soon as possible.” Further, the 8th amendment to Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 was discussed. Five additional substances will be authorized; adoption is expected in summer 2017.
Read more
Working Group on food contact materials of the toxicological safety section of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SC-PAFF) (June 2, 2017). “Summary – Meeting 4-5 May 2017.” (pdf)
Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark (May 4, 2017). “Focus on fluorinated compounds in the Danish Food Administration.” (pdf)
BEUC (June 2, 2017). “Chemicals in fast food packaging.” (pdf)
