A new EU bill drafted by the European Commission regarding food contact plastics has been approved by the EU Council of Ministers. Under the proposed law, companies must test whether materials used to make plastics that come in contact with food are safe. Unless the European Parliament unexpectedly opposes it, the bill should become law in January 2013, and the tests will be required beginning in January 2016. The legislation permits the use of certain substances, such as monomers, that are part of an authorized list for making plastic layers in food packaging. The amount of other substances that migrate to food will be limited, with specific limits for some substances, and a standard of 60 mg/kg for others. Plastic materials and articles will be prohibited from transferring more than 10 mg of their components to food simulants for every dm2 of food contact surface. In cases where manufacturers have used a food-contact barrier, unauthorized packaging materials that seep into food at levels less than 0.01 mg/kg will also be approved.

Source: Plastics News