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  • 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.

    Food Contact Materials Testing

    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
    ProductsTesting items
    EC NO.1935/2004French DGCCRF note 2004-64Germany LFGB
    General plastic productsEU NO.10/2001
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phthalates, BPA, etc.)
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, monomers)
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, monomers)
    • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons content
    • Sensory testing
    Rubber productsAP(2004)4
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phthalates)
    • Phthalate content
    • Phthalate content
    • Organic volatile matter, peroxide value
    • Bisphenol A residue
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration tests (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phthalates)
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phthalates, formaldehyde)
    • Organic volatile matter, peroxide value
    • Sensory testing
    • Total content (phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, organotin)
    Glass / ceramic2005/31/EC&84/500/EC
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution
    • Sensory testing
    Metal and alloy products
    • Element specific migration testing
    • Element specific migration testing
    • Component analysis
    • Heavy metal specific migration testing
    • Component analysis
    • Sensory testing
    CoatingAP(2004)1
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phthalates, PFOS)
    • Phthalates content
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration testing (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phthalates, PFOS)
    • Phthalates content
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Specific migration test (heavy metals, primary aromatic amines, phenol, formaldehyde, Cr3+, Cr6+, PFOS, PFOA)
    • Total content (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals)
    • Sensory testing
    Wood
    • Pentachlorophenol specific migration testing
    • Pentachlorophenol specific migration testing
    • Pentachlorophenol specific migration testing
    • China Food Safety Standard GB 4806 & GB 31604
    General requirements for plastic productsGlass / ceramic / enamel containersMetal products
    • Heavy metals (as lead)
    • Potassium permanganate consumption
    • Comprehensive migration testing
    • Decolorization test
    • Specific monomer migration test
    • Lead and cadmium migration test
    • Element migration test
    • Food contact materials testing items in the United States
    U.S. Compliance Policy Guidelines CPGThe Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) SGCDCali Forina Proposition 65
    • Ceramic products
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution

    • Silver plated tableware
    • Lead dissolution

    • Rim-Area
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution

    • Food contact parts inside ceramic and glass containers
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution

    • Ceramic and glass products exterior decoration part
    • Lead and cadmium dissolution

    • US FDA 21 CFR DATABASE
    Testing productsTesting itemsTesting standards
    Polypropylene PP/Polyethylene PEExtract (n-hexane, xylene), melting point, density21 CFR 177.1520
    Rubber/siliconeEvaporation residue (n-hexane, water)21 CFR 177.2600
    CoatingEvaporation residue (water, n-heptane, 8% ethanol)21 CFR 175.300
    PolystyreneStyrene monomer residue21 CFR 177.1640
    NylonSpecific gravity, melting point, solubility, extract21 CFR 177.1500
    Paper and cardboardWater, 8% ethanol, 50% ethanol, chloroform soluble in the extract of n-heptane21 CFR 176.170

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

    T,C & A LAB is an independent lab providing quality or custom testing, characterization and analysis of a variety of materials. Our engaged experts are ready to help you.

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