Like all other materials that come into contact with food (e.g. kitchen appliances and utensils, freezer boxes, factory or industrial food production systems), packaging is subject to various regulations that protect consumers.
1.) General regulatory framework
According to the legal requirements, packaging materials must not, under normal and foreseeable conditions of use, release components into food in quantities that could endanger human health or cause an unacceptable change in the composition of the food or affect its smell or taste.
Packaging materials must be manufactured in accordance with so-called “good manufacturing practice”, which means that the materials must be produced according to a specific procedure, under a quality assurance and control system, so that they do not pose a risk to the consumer.
2.) Special regulations
Special additional regulations apply to certain materials: The requirements for plastics are set out in the European Plastics Regulation. It contains requirements for the properties of plastics, a positive list of permitted ingredients and migration limits.
Special requirements also apply to packaging and other materials in contact with food: recycled plastics and ceramics or active and intelligent materials and articles.
intelligent materials and articles. For years, special regulations have been expected for the mineral oil components of recycled cardboard and for printing inks used in materials in contact with food.
However, there is currently no specific legislation for adhesives used in resealable food packaging, apart from the general safety requirements for materials in contact with food.
3.) Additional resources
In order to enable manufacturers to comply with the health safety requirements for these materials required by the EU Framework Regulation on Packaging Materials, guidelines and recommendations can be relied on in cases where there are no Community provisions. These reflect the current state of science and technology. These include e.g. recommendations of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Health Care (EDQM) – a body of the Council of Europe.