National Standards to Be Developed for the Food-Packaging Paper Sector

[ppzhan Abstract] Packaging is everywhere. As the "close-fitting clothing" of food, packaging is all the more required to play its role in ensuring food safety. To ensure that this role is better performed, the relevant state authorities have stated that national standards will be formulated for extrusion-coated paper for food packaging and for pulp molding tableware.

Extrusion-coated paper for food packaging refers to extrusion-coated paper and paperboard formed by coating one or both sides of a paper substrate with PE, PP, PET or a film containing these 3 materials, for wrapping (holding) food. Common types of extrusion-coated paper for food packaging on the market include: low-basis-weight extrusion-coated paper for wrapping hamburgers, pastries and the like; extrusion-coated paper with kraft paper as the substrate for holding dried nuts such as sunflower seeds; and high-basis-weight extrusion-coated paper and paperboard for making paper cups, paper bowls, paper lunch boxes and so on.

Extrusion-coated paper for food packaging comes in many types and is used in large quantities, and it is a material in direct contact with food. At present, China still has no corresponding standard to regulate such products. The newly formulated national standard will specify indicators for extrusion-coated paper for food packaging, including safety performance (hygiene indicators, raw materials) and physical properties (basis weight deviation, cross-direction thickness difference, film basis weight deviation, degree of adhesion, grease resistance, leakage, dyne level, moisture content at delivery).

Pulp molding tableware refers to paper tableware made from pulp through processes such as forming, molding and drying, including molded paper cups, molded paper bowls, molded paper lunch boxes, molded paper plates and molded paper dishes. Such products use virgin fiber pulp as the raw material, are stronger than other similar products, and have high recycling value and are degradable, so they are regarded as green and environmentally friendly products. However, there is still no national standard for molded paper tableware. In order to improve the standard system for paper tableware products, the National Technical Committee for Papermaking Standardization will formulate the national standard "Pulp Molding Tableware". The standard will specify indicators for pulp molding tableware, including safety performance (hygiene indicators, raw materials) and physical properties (dimensional deviation, capacity deviation, water leakage, temperature resistance, cup body stiffness, load-bearing performance, compression resistance, box lid folding test, drop test, moisture).

The National Technical Committee for Papermaking Standardization said that, in order to regulate the production of food-contact products and protect consumer safety, national standards will be formulated in the future for extrusion-coated paper for food packaging and pulp molding tableware.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-361822.html