Control of Additives

Abstract

The European Commission has been working on the harmonization of food contact regulations of the individual EU Member States for over two decades. Harmonization has been achieved in the area of regenerated cellulose film and ceramics and for some aspects of plastics. A considerable amount of food contact legislation is still to be formulated and there is enough reason to look back at the achievements in the field of Community food contact legislation, and to learn from the experience gained so far. The legislative system for plastics food contact materials as it has been developed so far is becoming very sophisticated and it must be feared that it is going to lose touch with reality. Regulations are getting tougher and more specific whilst the quality of plastics food contact materials is continuously improving as a result of constant progress in plastics technology. This paper describes the position of additives in plastics - an area still to be harmonized - and gives recommendations on how future Community food contact legislation on additives in plastics could be formulated taking into account aspects of practicability and enforceability, without compromising public health.