Food Contact Materials Testing

Food contact materials (FCMs) refer to the materials and products that will come into contact with food in normal use, including not only all kinds of food packaging, tableware, kitchen utensils, processing equipment, but also auxiliary materials such as adhesives, printing inks and colorants used for these products and materials.

While paying attention to the quality of life, people are also paying more and more attention to the safety of food, but they often neglect the safety of materials that come into contact with food. In fact, in daily use, harmful substances may migrate to food from the materials in contact between electronic products and food, thereby affecting human health. Therefore, unqualified food contact materials have also become an important source of food contamination. This issue has attracted the attention of all parties, and various countries have continuously introduced and updated laws and regulations on food-grade materials to maintain consumer safety.

T,C&A Lab can provide customers with one-stop food contact material testing services in accordance with the regulations/standard requirements of different countries or regions.

Regulations on food contact materials and products

• EU Regulations on Food Contact Materials and Products

The EU food contact system’s framework regulation is (EC) No 1935/2004, which has been developed so far, covering plastic [(EU) No 10/2011], regenerated cellulose film [2007/42/EC], ceramics [84/500/ EEC], rubber [93/11/EEC], active and smart materials [(EC) No 450/2009] and other materials. In addition, some European countries such as Germany, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom also have their own unique food contact material systems.

• U.S. Food Contact Materials and Products Requirements

The substances used in food packaging materials in the United States are regarded as indirect additives and are incorporated into the regulatory system of food additive safety, which is uniformly regulated by the FDA. The requirements for food contact materials and products in the United States are mainly in the United States Federal Code CFR 21 parts 170189.

• China Food Contact Materials and Products Requirements

China's 4806.1~11 series of standards specify the basic requirements, limited requirements, compliance principles, inspection methods, traceability and product information for food contact materials and products made of enamel, ceramic, glass, resin, plastic, paper and paperboard, metal, paint and coating, rubber, etc.

Our product testing range includes but is not limited to：

According to the internationally accepted classification method, the materials and utensils that come into contact with food are divided into:

• Rubber products
• Glass products
• Plastic products
• Metal products
• Paper products
• Wood products

The product categories included are:

• Food packaging materials
• Food containers and utensils
• Tableware
• Household food processing appliances
• Food production and processing machinery, etc.

Main testing items

• Food contact materials testing items in EC, France and Germany

• China Food Safety Standard GB 4806 & GB 31604

• Food contact materials testing items in the United States

• US FDA 21 CFR DATABASE

Note: this service is for Research Use Only and Not intended for clinical use.

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