Food Contact Materials Testing and Compliance
Food Contact Materials (FCMs) are materials and articles that come into contact with food during its production, processing or storage. They can be made from variety of materials including rubber, plastics, paper and metal.
Chemical substances used in food contact materials for example packaging might transfer onto food hence posing risk for the consumer. Therefore, Migration Testing for Food Contact Materials is used to verify whether a material meets the specification that the legislator used to allow a material for use in food contact.
Rubber Consultants have used migration testing for Food Contact Materials for variety of materials, for example: VMQ polymers (silicones), different types of rubber sheets, NBR rubber, FFKM rubber, EPDM rubber seals and envelope gaskets.
Several food contact legislative frameworks worldwide have set out requirements on testing the migration of substances which are listed below.
Regulations for Food Contact Materials:
- Commission regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Chapter 3, paragraph 3.3
- Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, 21CFR 177.2600 section e
- Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, 21CFR 177.2600 section f
- Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, 21CFR 177.2400 section d
- Commission regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex III, Tables 1 & 2 and Chapter 3, Table 3, OM2
- 2006 No. 2687 Food, England, Schedule 3, Parts 2 and 3
- 2006 No. 2687 Food, England, Part 6
- Commission Directive 97/48/EC of 29 July 1997, Chapter IV, paragraph 3.1