Food packaging

Food packaging safety regulations

Guide

'Food contact material' refers to packaging that comes into contact with food. Other examples of food contact material include:

cookware/ceramic ware
cutlery /crockery
work surfaces
food processing equipment and machinery

What are food contact materials?

The European Food Safety Authority has produced this video to explain what food contact materials are:

How is food contact material regulated?

European Regulation 1935/2004 governs food contact materials. This regulation lays down chemical safety requirements for food contact materials. The law protects:

human health
the nature, substance and quality of the food in the packaging

The regulation covers all food contact material. It states specific controls on some particular groups of food contact materials, including:

'active' food contact materials - these release a substance into the food to extend its shelf-life, or to maintain or improve its condition
'intelligent' food contact materials - these monitor and react to the condition of the food
plastics and plastics recycling processes for food contact use
ceramics
regenerated cellulose film (RCF)

There are also specific rules for:

the substances known as BADGE , BFDGE and NOGE
all plastics, adhesives and coatings
the use of vinyl chloride monomer in food contact plastics

Under current operating arrangements for Northern Ireland, businesses seeking a new authorisation for placing these materials on the NI market will continue to follow EU food rules. From Autumn 2023, the Windsor Framework will allow GB public health standards to apply for pre-packed retail goods moved via a new NI retail movement scheme and placed on the NI market. Therefore, goods moving via this route containing GB authorised materials will be able to be placed on the NI market.