Updates to Switzerland’s Ordinance on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food went into effect on February 1, 2024. The greatest change pertains to packaging inks; Part B of the positive list for packaging inks, listing unevaluated substances used in packaging inks for food contact, has been removed. Substances not on the positive list or known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction are still allowed in packaging inks but subject to a generic detection limit of 0.01 mg/kg. Other amendments to the ordinance related to silicones, plastics, and ceramics bring Swiss regulation in closer alignment with that of the European Union (Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004).
The deletion of the list of unevaluated substances in packaging inks runs counter to movements elsewhere in Europe and the United States to increase transparency related to chemical use (FPF reported, also here). Removing sources of information on the chemicals used in food contact creates an added layer of difficulty to researchers investigating material safety. In the future, this may mean even basic inventories of intentionally used substances such as the Food Packaging Forum’s food contact chemicals database (FCCdb), are less reliable.
According to FPF’s database on migrating and extractable food contact chemicals (FCCmigex), 499 substances with CAS registry numbers have been detected in food contact printing inks. Only 55% (277) were previously known to be in printing inks according to the FCCdb.
While the unevaluated chemicals list has been removed for inks, the remaining positive list for packaging inks (annex 10) as well as the positive lists for silicones (annex 9) and plastics (annex 2) were updated. Additionally, the rules for ceramics, glass, and enamel were brought into alignment with the EU’s Ceramic Articles Directive.
References
SGS (January 17, 2024). “Switzerland has amended the nation’s law on food contact materials and articles. These will become effective on February 1, 2024.”
Swiss Federal Department of the Interior (December 2023). “Ordinance on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.” (in German, French, or Italian)
Swiss Federal Department of the Interior (December 2023). “Ordinance on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food: additional texts.” (in German, French, or Italian)
Read more
Keller and Heckman (January 19, 2024). “Swiss Printing Inks Ordinance Updated.” Packaginglaw.com
