Clarification on the Applicable Standards for Food Packaging Paper

Recently, media reports have claimed that paper containers for instant noodles, milk tea and other foods contain excessive fluorescent substances that may harm health. The relevant information on applicable standards for food packaging paper is introduced as follows:

China's Hygienic Standard for Raw Paper Used in Food Packaging (GB11680-89) explicitly specifies the hygienic indexes for lead, arsenic, fluorescent substances, the decolorization test, coliform bacteria and pathogenic bacteria in raw paper that directly contacts food, and a supporting testing method standard, the Method for Analysis of Hygienic Standard for Raw Paper Used in Food Packaging (GB/T5009.78-2003), has been formulated. The outer layer material of food packaging is not subject to the Hygienic Standard for Raw Paper Used in Food Packaging (GB11680-89).

At present, paper cups, paper bowls and other products used for foods such as instant noodles and milk tea are generally double-layer film-coated products (such as polyethylene); the paper material in direct contact with food shall comply with the Hygienic Standard for Raw Paper Used in Food Packaging (GB11680-89), and the film-coating material shall comply with the corresponding standards. The outer layer material of food packaging containers should avoid direct contact with food, and measures should be taken to prevent fluorescent substances from migrating into food, so as to avoid harm to human health.

Note: Information on the standards of other countries or regions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Foodand Drug Administration, FDA) lists the substances permitted for use in paper and paperboard for food contact in Chapter 176 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR), and imposes no restriction on fluorescent whitening agents. The U.S. FDA has also, through the food contact substance notification procedure (Food Co

ntact Notification, FCN), approved a batch of substances that can be used in paper and paperboard, including fluorescent whitening agents (such as FCN80, FCN No. 636).

The EU has no regulations specifically targeting food packaging paper, and generally follows the provisions on paper for food contact in Part 36 of the food contact materials regulations of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The section on baking paper in BfR 36/2 stipulates that colorants or fluorescent whitening agents shall not be used in baking paper, but where colorants or fluorescent whitening agents do not migrate into food, the above substances may be used in the outer layer paper of multi-layer paper and paperboard that does not directly contact food. The European Council directive stipulates that fluorescent whitening agents may be added only to kitchen towels and napkins, with the maximum usage amount not exceeding 0.3%, and other paper products for food contact shall comply with the German BfR regulations on paper for food contact.

Japan, Australia and New Zealand and other countries have no specific regulations targeting food packaging paper, and such products are managed only by general regulations on food contact materials.

— This article is reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362025.html