Thematic files

The classic approach to demonstrating the conformity of a material or object in contact with food consists in analyzing the migration of constituents in food simulants. This approach sometimes comes up against practical difficulties such as the lack of an analytical method or the time needed to obtain results. In recent years, new modeling tools based on mathematical representations of migration phenomena have been introduced. These not only enable migration levels to be predicted, but also allow substances, materials and even stages in a process to be prioritized according to their criticality, more rapidly and at lower cost. Although current regulations authorize modeling to establish the conformity of materials and objects, these tools are still little known to operators.

Consult the dossier "Modeling tools for predicting the migration of substances from materials to food"

Industrialists in the food chain continue to face increasing regulatory pressure to demonstrate that they are in control of the food safety of products placed on the market. At the same time, supermarkets are setting their food safety objectives by publishing standards that enable food chain companies to be certified for hygiene management (BRCGS, IFS, for example). Standards have also been developed to harmonize practices (ISO 22000, FSSC22000, EN 15593 standard specific to packaging). These standards all contain provisions concerning hazard and risk analysis, good hygiene practices and quality management provisions.

Consult the thematic dossier "Comparison of hygiene management standards"

Today, the contamination of foodstuffs by substances present in cardboard cartons or boxes is well established. The presence of mineral oils has been demonstrated in a wide variety of foodstuffs. They can be contaminated at any point in the processing or supply chain. The product groups most likely to be contaminated by these substances include cereals, rice, flour, pasta...

Consult the "Mineral oils: controlling the risk of food contamination"

In the cosmetics sector, Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 defines the regulatory requirements for products placed on the market. Thus in accordance with Article 3 of the regulation, cosmetic products must not endanger human health under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use. According to Article 10 of the regulation, proof of compliance with this requirement lies with the person responsible for the finished product, who must carry out a safety assessment on the basis of appropriate information. Article 17 of the regulation stipulates that the unintentional presence of prohibited substances must be assessed, in particular those resulting from packaging migration, and Annex 4 of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 states that the relevant characteristics of the packaging material must be taken into account in the safety assessment, in particular its purity and stability. Although the European Commission has published guidelines for the implementation of these requirements (Implementing Decision of 25/11/2013), the evidence to be provided by those responsible for placing products on the market is not perfectly established. So what approach should be adopted to verify the health safety of cosmetics packaging?

Consult the dossier "Transfer modeling: an approach to assess the sanitary safety of cosmetics packaging"

The use of a microwave oven for meal preparation is a daily practice for many consumers, as it allows food or liquid to be reheated in a matter of seconds. Questions arise about the impact of microwaves on foodstuffs, but also on the materials used for containers and packaging. How can this impact be measured? Are there any differences compared to reheating food in a conventional oven? Are there any health risks for consumers due to the migration of substances from the materials into the food?

Consult the file "Are packaging or cooking utensils microwaveable?

According to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACH), the chemical safety report on substances must not take into account the risks to human health arising from their use "in materials intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs".

Are substances used to manufacture materials and articles intended to come into contact with food exempt from REACH requirements?

Consult the dossier "REACH and food contact materials ..."