Tight rules on food contact materials enforced
used that entered into force in December 2004. Repealing the former
framework Directive 89.109/EEC, the new regulation ((EC) No
1935/2004) lays down stricter demands on the purity of materials
which come into direct or indirect contact with food in the
packaging chain.
In addition, the rules impose tighter requirements relating to the traceability of food-contact materials, and outlines definitions for active and intelligent packaging materials as well as certain requirements for the use of these materials in the EU.
International firms working in the sector will have already absorbed the legislative changes into their daily working practice.
"The new EU regulation governing materials used in food packaging is both more stringent and more extensive than the previous framework legislation but the effects onIggesund Paperboard are minimal since all our products and systems already meet theRequirements," comments Jan Erik Winlund, in charge of product safety andregulatory affairs at packaging firm Iggesund Paperboard.
"The secondary packaging is included in the regulation in order to ensure that no undesirable substances can migrate from the secondary packaging to the food contained in the primary packaging," added Winlund.
He predicts that companies which have supplied materials for secondary packaging and which were not previously affected by the requirements governing food contact will now be forced to implement extensive measures if they want to continue supplying materialsfor food packaging.
According to a recent article by Devon Wm. Hill the regulation establishes the principle of the 'traceability' (Article 17) of food-contact materials and articles at all stages of their manufacture, processing and distribution, by requiring that all business operators be able to identify the materials and articles received from and supplied to the previous and next operator in the chain.
The regulation does not specify how this objective would be achieved and leaves this to the operators themselves.
The new rules also define active and intelligent packaging materials as well as certain requirements for the use of these materials in the EU. Namely, the framework regulation calls for these materials to be the subject of a specific directive governing their use, and the regulation outlines labelling requirements and mandates that their use must not mislead the consumer.
A new provision for a specific directive on active and intelligent packaging materials has been proposed by the European Commission.
