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Health assessment of food contact materials
PET bottles, cardboard packaging or aluminium foils - BfR 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.
Packaging materials can contain substances which can result in health risks if they are released and absorbed by consumers through foods.
BfR has published and compiled a series of opinions and reports on such materials.
Examples include
- Release of lead from coffee and espresso machines
- Primary aromatic amines from printed food contact materials such as napkins or bakery bags
(86.6 KB)
- Release of melamine and formaldehyde from dishes and kitchen utensils
(61.6 KB)
Further opinions are listed under the heading "Opinion" at the bottom of this page.
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.
BfR-Recommendations
In a free-of-charge database BfR publishes recommendations for the production of materials which are not subject to any statutory provisions: "Database BfR Recommendations on Food Contact Materials".
Manufacturers can submit an application to BfR 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.
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.
Information
(4)Date | Title | Size |
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01.10.2010 BfR Information Nr. 003/2011
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New Scientific Opinion by the European Food Safety Authority: Bisphenol A in food contact material |
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26.10.2009 BfR Information No. 037/2009
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Bisphenol A in dummies |
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18.03.2009 BfR Information No. 006/2009 concerning a study by the University Frankfurt am Main
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Substances with hormone-like activity in mineral water from PET bottles |
67.7 KB![]() |
19.09.2008 BfR Information No. 036/2008
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New studies on bisphenol A do not challenge earlier risk assessment |
27.0 KB![]() |
Opinion
(28)Other documents
(2)Date | Title | Size |
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05.07.2007 Minutes of the meeting of the working group "Paper and board" at BfR
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Di-isobutylphthalate in food-contact paper and board |
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01.10.2000 Stand
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Use of mechanically recycled plastic made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for the manufacture of articles coming into contact with food |
32.9 KB![]() |