On April 8, 2014 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published 3 new scientific opinions on processes for the recycling of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for use in food contact materials. The three processes SOREPET, SOREPET GR and APPE supercycle CP were all found to be of no safety concern when used to recycle post-consumer PET into 100% food contact material (FCM). Thereby, EFSA acknowledged that under the used decontamination conditions the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food would lie below 0.1 µg/kg (100 ppb). For each of the processes, PET may be sourced from food contact applications, with a maximum of 5% content from non-food grade post-consumer PET. The processes will now require authorization by the European Commission’s Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) before they can be used to recycle PET for FCM applications in Europe.
Read more
EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) (2014). “Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process SOREPET, based on Buhler B technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.” EFSA Journal 2014;12(4):3631.
EFSA CEF Panel (2014). “Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process SOREPET GR based on EREMA Basic technology used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.” EFSA Journal 2014;12(4):3636.
EFSA CEF Panel (2014). “Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “APPE supercycle CP” used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.” EFSA Journal 2014;12(4):3632.
