Food contact materials
Food contact materials (FCMs) include all the materials and articles intended to be in contact with food and drinks, such as containers, packaging, kitchen utensils, cutlery, and dishes.
FCMs also include materials used in food processing equipment, such as coffee makers or food production machinery, as well as the containers used to transport foodstuffs.
FCMs can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic, rubber, paper, ceramic, and metal.
Chemicals in food contact materials can transfer into the food and drinks we consume. EFSA’s scientists evaluate whether there are possible health risks due to such a transfer, based on migration and toxicological data.
See also:
Milestones
2023
November
EFSA publishes a technical report on principles that could be applicable to the safety assessment of the use of mixtures of natural origin to manufacture food contact materials.
April
EFSA publishes a scientific opinion re-evaluating the risks to public health related to the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in foodstuffs.
2022
November
May
EFSA publishes an opinion on the identification and prioritisation of plasticiser substances in FCMs for reassessment and a protocol for assessing exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time. of the prioritised substances.
2021
March
ECHA and EFSA publishes a joint document to compare the evaluations performed on silver compounds used as biocidal active substances in FCMs.
EFSA's role
EFSA’s scientists produce scientific advice for the European Commission and national legislators on the safety of substances used or intended to be used to manufacture materials which come into contact with food.
EFSA receives requests for scientific advice as part of the process for the authorisation of EU-regulated substances, new uses of substances or to assess new scientific information.
EFSA may also be mandated by national legislators and the European Parliament to provide scientific advice on specific issues related to FCMs.
Our expert Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) carries out these assessments, which are based on a review of the scientific evidence and data submitted by applicants as well as the scientific literature. The Panel is supported by working groups on specific areas.
Our advice informs the legislative decisions taken by the European Commission such as setting legal limits on the amount of a chemical that may migrate from food contact materials into food.
EU framework
Food contact materials (FCMs) must be manufactured in compliance with EU regulations, including Good Manufacturing Practices as described in Regulation EC 2023/2006.
General requirements for all FCMs are laid down in Framework Regulation EC 1935/2004. Any potential transfer of chemicals to foods must not raise safety concerns, change the composition of the food in an unacceptable way or have adverse effects on quality (for instance, taste and/or odour).
The regulation lists 17 groups of materials and articles which may be covered by specific measures. This is the case for plastics, recycled plastic materials, active and intelligent materials, ceramics and regenerated cellulose film. In addition, some directives cover single substances or groups of substances used in the manufacture of FCMs.
- EU legislation on food contact materials – European Commission
As part of a European network, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre operates a European Union Reference Laboratory for FCMs that provides scientific support to EU policies on food safety through information about research and analysis of food contact materials.
For applicants
We have published guidance documents to support applicants in submitting information for our safety evaluations.