European Directive 2002/72/EC FOOD CONTACT MATERIALS - Test Conditions

According to European Directive 2002/72/EC (the “Plastic Directive”) the steps to define a plastic articles in compliance are:

- Evaluation of belonging of all additives, monomers, starting substances to European Directive 2002/72/EC

- Evaluation of eventual starting substances for wich additional limitations are fixed (SML or QM)

- Inspection and test about the compliance to established limitations (SML or QM)

and contextually

- Test of Overall Migration on article in finished form

But how are defined test conditions?

Conditions of test are established by European Directive 82/711/EC (and furteher amendments) that substantially defines three parameters:

- Kind of Food

- Time of Contact with food.

- Temperature of contact with food

These are related to foreseeable real use of article in contact with food.

In example, an article such as a plastic knife will be tested in different conditions as regards a bag for chips since the real use destination are clearly different.

- Kind of Food

The European Directive 82/711/EC define n°3 class of foods, in particular:

* Aqueous and acid foods

* Fatty Foods

* Alcoholic Foods

Recently, an amendments of European Directive introduces a fourth class (Milky Food).

For each of these class, a specific food simulante is established.

- Time of Contact with Food

The European Directive 82/711/EC define different range of time of contact with food. The choose of test time must reflect the foreseeable contact time and the range fixed by European Directive consider the “worst” case. This means that for an article designed to contact food substances for a time major of 24 hours (bag for chips in the supermarket) the test time established is 10 days, meanwhile for an article which could contact food for a time between 5 minutes and 30 minutes, the test time will be 30 minutes (worst case).

- Temperature of Contact with Food

The choose of test temperature is similar to that explained for time.
The European Directive 82/711/EC define different range of temperature of contact with food. The choose of test temperature must reflect the foreseeable contact time and the range fixed by European Directive consider the “worst” case. In the Europan Directive are also defined “special cases” that cover particular item (i.e. article designed to oven use or sterilization, high temperature use).

The combination of the parameters explained above fixes the condition of test for a specific article. In case of “repeated use” articles (different from single use article such as plastic container for food in supermarket) the European Directive establishes repeated test (3 consecutive tests on the same article). In case of “hot filled”article the worst conditions established are 2 hours @ 70°C.

EXAMPLE OF ARTICLES EVALUATION

- Plastic Fork

* Food potentially in contact: AQUEOUS,ACID,FATTY FOODS
* Time of Contact: ABOUT 20 MINUTES
* Temperature: ROOM TEMPERATURE
* ITEM CAN BE RE-USED

TEST CONDITIONS

* Food Simualantes: ACETIC ACID, SUNFLOWER OIL
* Time of Test: 30 MINUTES
* Temperature: 40°C
* TEST REPEATED 3 TIMES IN CONTACT

- Plastic Bottle for water in the supermarket

* Food potentially in contact: AQUEOUS FOODS
* Time of Contact: MAJOR THAN 24 HOURS
* Temperature: ROOM TEMPERATURE
* ITEM CANNOT BE RE-USED

TEST CONDITIONS

* Food Simualantes: ACETIC ACID
* Time of Test: 10 DAYS
* Temperature: 40°C
* SINGLE TEST

- Plastic Mug

* Food potentially in contact: AQUEOS, ACID,FATTY MILKY FOODS
* Time of Contact: ABOUT 40 MINUTES
* Temperature: ROOM TEMPERATURE AND HOT FILLED
* ITEM CAN RE-USED

TEST CONDITIONS

* Food Simualantes: ACETIC ACID, SUNFLOWER OIL, ETHANOL
* Time of Test: 2 HOURS
* Temperature: 70°C
* TEST REPEATED 3 TIMES IN CONTACT

See more at www.foodcontactmaterials.info

www.foltranluca.com