In the News

EFSA to Review Safety of Non-plastic Food Contact Materials

Mar 9, 2010

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced February 22, 2010 that it has established an EFSA scientific cooperation (ESCO) working group to collect and analyze information on the safety of substances used in non-plastic materials which may contact food. The group will also evaluate different approaches currently used for risk assessment of non-plastic food contact materials, propose criteria for future safety evaluations, and make recommendations for further action. The group is expected to report on its findings by March 2011.

In a press release, EFSA noted that the ESCO working group was formed following a number of recent incidents in which certain substances used in non-plastic food contact materials—such as inks and adhesive—were found to migrate into foods. In one incident, the European Commission asked EFSA in February 2009 to evaluate the risk of 4-methylbenzophenone that had migrated from packaging into certain cereal products (click here from more information).