Health assessment of food contact materials
PET bottles, cardboard packaging or aluminium foils - BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment informs about possible risks of materials and in particular their ingredients which come into contact with food. Special recommendations for the manufacturers of packaging materials are included in a dedicated database.
Our topics in the area of food contact materials
Packaging materials can contain substances which can result in health risks if they are released and absorbed by consumers through foods. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment assesses the health risk of these substance transfers.
Basic requirements
In accordance with the applicable statutory framework provisions, food contact materials may not release any substances in normal or foreseeable uses which,
- Constitute a health risk to consumers,
- Lead to an unacceptable change in the composition of the food or
- Impair foods in terms of odour, taste, texture or appearance (so called organoleptic properties).
Specific legally binding provisions currently exist, for instance, for plastics.
BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommendations
In a free-of-charge database BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment publishes recommendations for the production of materials which are not subject to any statutory provisions:
External Link:Database BfR Recommendations on Food Contact Materials
Manufacturers can submit an application to BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment for the inclusion of certain substances into the recommendations. More detailed information, references to the current legal situation and contacts on this topic can be found on an info page:
BfR Recommendations on Food Contact Materials
Apart from recommendations on the use of certain substances, the database also includes information on test methods, for instance for materials which are used in the production of paper, carton and cardboard. With these methods, manufacturers can check whether the materials used by them qualify for food contact.