Food Contact Materials Archives

Single-Use Plastics Directive: An Overview

Posted on October 24, 2024October 24, 2024 by Ivan Malloci — Leave a comment

Single Use Plastic Straws

The Single-Use Plastics Directive contains specific requirements and prohibitions that affect the manufacturing and importation of single-use plastic products, oxo-degradable plastics products, and fishing gear. These are products that are used only once or are used for a short period before being discarded.

This guide covers the Single-Use Plastics Directive and explains how it relates to certain plastic products. Additionally, we refer to implementing measures and commission guidelines and address common questions related to the Directive.
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Bisphenol A (BPA) Regulations in the United States: An Overview

Posted on November 21, 2023November 22, 2023 by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic chemical used to improve durability and heat resistance in plastics. As such, it has long been used when manufacturing plastic products, from kitchen utensils and toys to certain medical devices.

That said, studies show that BPA may interfere with hormones, and cause other damage to the human body. It’s therefore not surprising that BPA is regulated in the United States, especially in food contact products designed for children.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about BPA restrictions, including FDA 21 CFR, California Proposition 65, and other state regulations.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on November 13, 2023November 15, 2023 by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

A broad range of products can contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to enhance plastic durability. However, Bisphenol A (BPA) is restricted under various regulations in the EU due to its potential to cause harm to human health.

More specifically, Bisphenol A is restricted in consumer products, food contact materials, and toys in the European Union.

In this guide, we explain how regulations REACH, the Toy Safety Directive, and other regulations, including some national laws, either restrict or relate to Bisphenol A.

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Cookware Regulations and Standards in the United States

Posted on August 17, 2023August 21, 2023 by Yvette Shen — 2 Comments

Cookware Regulations in the United States
Cookware such as frying pans and woks are covered by food contact material regulations such as 21 CFR or even guidance documents, which for example might regulate lead or cadmium contamination in ceramic products.

Different requirements apply depending on the material, some of which are not even related to food contact materials. For example, specific requirements apply to wooden products and by extension wooden cookware.

In this guide, we cover relevant requirements for cookware such as substance restrictions, labeling, and testing.

Note that the products listed as examples in this guide might not always be specifically mentioned by the regulations. This is because the scope of most relevant regulations is based on specific substances or materials, not products.

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Food Contact Materials Regulations in the United States: An Overview

Posted on July 27, 2023February 15, 2024 by Yvette Shen — 3 Comments

Food contact materials comprise products and packaging that are meant to come into contact with food or drinks. This includes cookware, cutlery, and food containers. While the main focus of food contact materials regulations is the restrictions of substances that are deemed to be dangerous (e.g. heavy metals), other requirements might also apply – such as labeling.

In this guide, we summarize various food contact material regulations in the United States, including substance restrictions, labeling, documentation, and testing requirements.
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Cookware Regulations and Standards in the European Union

Posted on July 20, 2023June 7, 2024 by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

Cookware Regulations in the European Union

Cookware imported and manufactured for sales in the EU are subject to various regulations, substance restrictions, labelling, documentation, and testing requirements. Some of these regulations are specific to various types of food contact materials.

But, there are also regulations and directives that cover consumer products in general, including cookware. Hence, this guide is not only covering food contact materials, but a broad set of compliance requirements for cookware as a category.

More specifically, we break down the requirements depending on the materials, as this impacts the applicable requirement.s

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Food Contact Materials Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on March 29, 2023June 7, 2024 by Yvette Shen — 21 Comments

Food contact materials usually include products and packaging made to be in contact with food or beverage. This includes a wide range of consumer goods, such as baby bottles, lunch boxes, cookware, and cutlery. Naturally, there are regulations that restrict the usage of certain chemicals and heavy metals in such products.

In this guide you’ll find summaries of EU food contact material regulations, including product scope, labelling requirements, documentation requirements, testing, and more.

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Baby Feeding Bottle Standards and Regulations in the EU: An Overview

Posted on March 14, 2023June 7, 2024 by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

Planning to import or manufacture baby feeding bottles in the European Union? Childcare products, including baby feeding bottles, are strictly regulated. More specifically, baby bottles must both meet strict mechanical safety standards, and food contact material regulations.

In this guide, we cover relevant safety standards, substance restrictions, labelling, documentation, and testing requirements.

In addition, this guide also covers compliance risks that baby feeding bottle importers and manufacturers must be aware of.

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Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Guide for Importers and Manufacturers

Posted on October 6, 2022March 7, 2023 by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

The US FDA designates substances as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) if experts have determined via scientific processes that said substances do not pose any inherent health risks. Substances that are GRAS can be found on the FDA’s Food Additives Status List.

This guide covers what GRAS is, food ingredients that have been sanctioned before the implementation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act, and which direct and indirect food substances are affirmed as GRAS.

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Food Contact Materials Lab Testing Guide: A Complete Guide

Posted on September 27, 2022March 7, 2023 by Fredrik Gronkvist — 3 Comments

food contact materials testing
Third-party testing is almost always necessary when importing or manufacturing food contact materials in the EU, US, and UK. In this guide, Niko Markkinen – FCM expert at Measurlabs in Finland, explains what brands must know about the following: