Eurofins | Newsflash - January 2019 | Food Contact Materials
Standards Updates
Below a summary table with some recent standards updates and upcoming dates of withdrawal (non-exhaustive):
(*) Date of withdrawal: latest date by which national standards conflicting with an EN (and HD for CENELEC) have to be withdrawn.
|
Reference |
Title |
Date of Withdrawal (*) |
Supersedes |
|
Paper and board intended to come into contact with foodstuffs - Determination of colour fastness of dyed paper and board. |
2019-05-31 |
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|
Paper and board intended to come into contact with foodstuffs - Determination of the fastness of fluorescent whitened paper and board. |
2019-05-31 |
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Paper and board intended to come into contact with foodstuffs - Determination of the transfer of antimicrobial constituents. |
2019-05-31 |
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Paper and board - Paper and board intended to come into contact with foodstuffs - Determination of cadmium, chromium and lead in an aqueous extract. |
2019-05-31 |
Public consultation on draft guidance about Threshold of Toxicological Concern
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opened a public consultation for the guidance on the use of the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach in food safety assessment.
Deadline for comments: 8th January 2019.
Click here for more information about this public consultation in EFSA’s website.
Assessment of the substance Ln 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid in food contact materials
In November, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published “Safety assessment of the substance Ln 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid (with Ln=La, Eu, Gd, Tb) for use in food contact materials”.
This powdered additive, not in nano form, is intended to be used at up to 100 mg/kg in polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutene. Materials and articles made of these plastics are intended for contact with all food types at up to 4 h/100°C or for long-term storage at ambient temperature.
The conclusion of this assessment is that the substance does not raise a safety concern for the consumer under the proposed conditions of use and if the migration of the sum of the four lanthanides in ionic form does not exceed 50μg/kg food.
Click here for getting the report from the EFSA’s website.
New requirements nanomaterials registration
On 4th December 2018, the following regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union:
“Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1881 of 3 December 2018 amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards Annexes I, III,VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII to address nanoforms of substances”.
The European Commission has adopted the revision of several Annexes of REACH Regulation including new registration requirements for nanomaterials that will be applied from 1st January 2020.
Click here for getting the Official Journal of the European Union.
Click here for more information from European Commission website.
Click here for reading the ECHA’s news.
New substances added to FDA inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances
The following substances have been recently added to the Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS) Notifications of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
|
FCN number |
Substances |
Date |
|
Hydrocarbons, C6-C20, polymers, hydrogenated (CAS reg. No. 69430-35-9) |
Oct 25, 2018 |
|
|
2-Amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (CAS. Reg. No. 124-68-5). |
Oct 17, 2018 |
|
|
Sodium chlorite (CAS Reg. No. 7758-19-2). |
Oct 9, 2018 |
|
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Poly(glycolic acid-co-isophthalic acid-co-trimethylolpropane). |
Oct 19, 2018 |
Click here for going to the Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications list.
Intention to implement Positive list rules for food contact materials
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has published draft amendments to the Food Sanitation Act with the intention to implement positive list system for food contact materials. It is intended that these new rules would come into force by 13th June 2020.
NHC published new notice regarding 5 new approved food contact additives and other relevant updates
On December 12, 2018, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (NHC) adopted the safety evaluation of some new additives and monomer from China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), and published Notice No. 15 of 2018 based on Food Safety Law. This updated rule came into effect on the date of publication.
An overview of the new approved substances can be found as follows:
- Five new food contact additives are allowed to be used as additives for manufacturing food contact materials and articles
|
No. |
CAS# |
Substance |
|
1 |
67700-45-2 |
Rosin, polymer with formaldehyde and phenol |
|
2 |
1440528-04-0 |
Copolymer of 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate with 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl methacrylate, N-oxide, acetate |
|
3 |
250640-08-5 |
C.I. Pigment orange 79; Benzoic acid, 4-[(2-hydroxy-6-sulfo-1-naphthalenyl)azo]-, strontium salt (2:1) |
|
4 |
118685-25-9 |
Formaldehyde, polymer with 2-methylphenol, Bu ether |
|
5 |
42774-15-2 |
1,3-Benzenedicarboxamide,N,N'-bis(2,2,6,6- tetramethyl-4-piperdinyl) |
- One food contact resin is expanded in terms of scope and usage
|
No. |
CAS# |
Substance |
|
6 |
1038843-64-9 |
Terephthalic acid, polymer with 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-glucitol, 4-cyclohexanedimethanol and 1,2-ethanediol |
- Two new resins are allowed to be used as food contact resins
|
No. |
CAS# |
Substance |
|
7 |
66027-02-9 |
1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, polymer with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-butanediol and hexanedioic acid |
|
8 |
- |
2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, polymer with 1,4-benzenediol, 2-(chloromethyl)oxirane, ethenylbenzene, ethyl 2-propenoate and 4,4enoate and 4,4,4and 4,44hylphenol], reaction products with 2-(dimethylamino)ethanol |
The completed notification can be found here (in Chinese).
