EU Regulation of Food Contact Materials Enters First Reading
January 29, 2004 -- In November 2003, the European Commission adopted a new proposal for a
regulation on "materials and articles intended to come into contact with food". The Regulation is intended to
replace the existing EU Directive 89/109/EEC. (Unlike a Directive, a Regulation becomes immediately
enforceable throughout the EU once it has passed into EU law). It has now been passed to the Council and
Parliament of the EU and is expected to go through its first reading during the first quarter of 2004.
Like the existing Directive, the Regulation enforces the first principle that no substance shall migrate from any material or article intended to come into contact with food in quantities that could endanger human health or affect the nature or quality of the food. Its provisions include:
- A "positive list" of authorised materials to be drawn up by the European Food Standards Agency and to be
made available to the public.
- New materials, for which authorisation is sought, will be assessed through an application submitted via a
member state.
- Labelling system to show compliance and to verify traceability of materials at all stages of manufacture,
processing and distribution.
- Groups of substances (including metals and alloys) identified, which may be covered by "specific measures".
Further development relating to this important new EU Regulation will be reported through this news page.
