Consumer health

Food contact materials and articles

The safety and quality of materials and articles for food contact is an essential part of consumer health protection. The European Committee for Food Contact Materials and Articles (CD-P-MCA) implements a work programme which involves developing standards and examining questions in this field. It prepares recommendations, technical guides, test protocols and common analytical procedures for use by regulators, manufacturers, safety evaluators and control laboratories. Council of Europe Resolution CM/Res(2020)9 on the safety and quality of materials and articles for contact with food serves as a framework for all technical guidance published by the EDQM on specific food contact materials.

Work programme

The technical guide “Metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles” (2013) was reviewed with input from experts from competent authorities, official control laboratories and industry stakeholders. This second edition will be published in 2024.

A new technical guide presenting best practices on how to prepare the documentation and declarations of compliance related to food contact materials and articles is being elaborated in co-operation with regulators, control laboratories and other stakeholders. This project will be pursued in 2024.

Another project currently underway aims to protect consumers from ingesting potentially harmful substances in food that originate from packaging materials or containers. The substances used in the production of materials must be safe, especially when their migration to food cannot be ruled out completely. The CD-P-MCA has therefore defined the procedures for the compilation of substances that have been officially evaluated. In 2024, templates will be prepared for the exchange of relevant data between regulators.

Work also started to re-examine the second version of the technical policy statement “Cork stoppers and other cork materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs”, released in 2007. The revision of the text will be pursued in 2024. All Council of Europe policy statements concerning materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs can be consulted here: www.edqm.eu/en/council-of-europe-resolutions-policy-statements.

Another technical guide is being prepared to address enamelled articles. Following a survey report entitled “Metal release from enamelware”, based on data collected in official controls in Europe between 2015 and 2018, NCA experts identified a need to optimise the testing conditions and will launch experimental release testing in 2024.

The committee also started revising the policy statement “Coatings intended to come into contact with foodstuffs”, last updated in 2009. A working group will be set up to advance this work in 2024.

Communication with partners and stakeholders

Through their engagement in the CD-P-MCA’s work, NCAs contribute to the elaboration of guidelines, provide expertise and carry out experimental testing. In collaboration with the EDQM, they contribute to protecting consumers from contaminants in food that originate from contact materials or articles.

The EDQM also collaborates with the European Commission, its Joint Research Centre and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to ensure consistency and complementarity of Council of Europe recommendations and technical guidelines with relevant regulations and guidelines in the EU.

The EDQM includes business operators and associations in discussions on how to ensure the safety and quality of materials intended for food contact.

GUIDELINE/DOCUMENT DE RECOMMANDATION	STATUT	GUIDELINE
Préface et avis aux lecteurs et lectrices des documents MQ	Adopté	Notes explicatives
« Interpretation of Screening Results for Unknown Peptides and Proteins by Mass Spectrometry based Methods »	Adopté	Document de recommandation
« Qualification of Equipment » – document de base	Adopté	Guideline
Annexe I de « Qualification of Equipment » – « Qualification of LC Equipment »	Adopté	Guideline
Annexe VII de « Qualification of Equipment » – « Qualification of Mass Spectrometers »	Adopté	Guideline
Annexe VIII de « Qualification of Equipment » – « Qualification of Balances »	Adopté	Guideline
« Management of OMCL Network Documents and Records by the EDQM »	Publié	Procédure
Annexe VI de « Qualification of Equipment » – « Qualification of Piston Pipettes »	En cours de révision	Guideline
Annexe 3.4 de « Evaluation and Reporting of Results » – « Special Considerations for Animal Testing in Connection with Verification of Out-Of-Specification Results »	En cours de révision	Guideline

Guideline/Recommendation document	Status	Guideline
Preface and Notes for Use of QM Documents	Adopted	Explanatory notes
Interpretation of Screening Results for Peptides and Proteins by Mass Spectrometry-based Methods	Adopted	Recommendation document
Qualification of Equipment – Core Document	Adopted	Guideline
Annex I to Qualification of Equipment – Qualification of PC Equipment	Adopted	Guideline
Annex VII to Qualification of Equipment – Qualification of Mass Spectrometers	Adopted	Guideline
Annex VIII to Qualification of Equipment – Qualification of Balances	Adopted	Guideline
Management of OMCL Network Documents and Records by the EDQM	Published	Procedure
Annex VI to Qualification of Equipment – Qualification of Piston Pipettes	Under revision	Guideline
Annex 3.4 to Evaluation and Reporting of Results: Special Considerations for Animal Testing in Connection with Verification of Out-Of-Specification Results	Under revision	Guideline