Food contact materials

In many cases, a combination is used; for example, a carton box for juices can include (from the inside to the outside) a plastic layer, aluminum, paper, printing, and top coating.

[3] The regulation is applicable to any product intended for food contact whether it be made of metals, ceramics, paper and board, and plastics or the coating.

[4] Use of the symbol is more significant in products which should be explicitly identified whether food safe or not, i.e. wherever there is an ambiguity whether the container could be used to hold foodstuffs.

Polystyrene may melt when in contact with hot or fatty foods and may pose a safety risk.

Article 3 contains general safety requirements such as not endanger human health, no unacceptable change in the composition and no deterioration of the organoleptic characteristics.

Articles 17–21 deal with traceability, safeguard measures, public access of applications, confidentiality, and data sharing.

Specific measures for materials and articles such as ceramics, regenerated cellulose, plastics, gaskets and active and intelligent materials, and substances such as vinyl chloride, N-nitrosamines and N-nitrostable substances in rubber, and epoxy derivatives, exist.

There must be a reference to the paragraph in which the additive is mentioned and the restrictions (for example only to be used in polyolefines) and limitations (max 0.5% in the final product) must be respected.