General Guidelines for Green Food Packaging

Chinese standard title: Green food - General rule of packaging

English standard title: Greenfood-Generalruleofpackaging

Issuing body: Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China

Standard number: NY/T658—2002

Date of issue: 2002-12-30

Date of implementation: 2003-03-01

Proposing body: China Green Food Development Center

Drafting body: National Packaging Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (Tianjin)

Drafters: Li Hua, Liu Bo, Feng Yong, Sun Yueli

Green food is a pollution-free, safe,, nutritious type of food. In order to reduce pollution to the environment and ensure the quality of green food, and to implement effective quality management of green food packaging, this standard is hereby formulated. Annex A of this standard is an informative annex.

This standard specifies the principles that must be followed in the packaging of green food, including the requirements for green food packaging, the selection of packaging materials, packaging dimensions, packaging inspection, sampling, marking and labeling, storage and transport, etc.

General rule of packaging for green food

This standard specifies the principles that must be followed in the packaging of green food, including the requirements for green food packaging, the selection of packaging materials, packaging dimensions, packaging inspection, sampling, marking and labeling, storage and transport, etc.

This standard applies to green food.

2 Normative references

The provisions of the following documents, through reference in this standard, constitute provisions of this standard. For dated references, all subsequent amendments (excluding corrigendum content) or revisions are not applicable to this part; however, parties that have reached agreements on the basis of this part are encouraged to study whether the new versions of these documents can be used. For undated references, the latest version applies to this standard.

GB/T2828 Sampling procedures and sampling tables for inspection by attributes lot by lot (applicable to inspection of continuous lots)

GB/T4892 Dimensional series of rigid rectangular transport packages

GB7718 General standard for the labeling of foods

GB9681 Hygienic standard for polyvinyl chloride molded products for food packaging

GB/T10344 Labeling standard for alcoholic beverages

GB/T13201 Dimensional series of cylindrical transport packages

GB/T13432 Labeling of special nutritional foods

GB/T13757 Dimensional series of bag-type transport packages

GB/T15233 Unit load dimensions

GB/T15239 Sampling procedures and sampling tables for inspection by attributes for isolated lots

GB/T15482 Single sampling procedures and sampling tables for inspection by attributes for small populations in product quality supervision

GB/T16470 Palletized packaging

GB/T16716 General rules for the treatment and utilization of packaging waste

GB/T18006.2 Test method for degradability of single-use degradable tableware

3 Terms and definitions

The following terms and definitions apply to this standard.

3.1 Reduction reduce

On the premise of ensuring the functions of containment, protection, transport, storage and sale, the factor first considered in packaging is to minimize the total amount of materials used.

3.2 Reuse reuse

Used packaging materials are put back into use after certain treatment.

3.3 Recycle recycle

Discarded packaging products are collected and, after treatment in a certain manner, the waste is converted into new substances or energy.

3.4 Degradable degradable

Under specific conditions, the chemical structure and physical and mechanical properties of discarded packaging materials may change markedly, with molecular weight decreasing, physical and mechanical properties declining, or decomposition into carbon dioxide and water.

4.1 Appropriate packaging materials, containers, forms and methods shall be selected according to different green foods so as to meet

the basic requirements of food packaging.

4.2 The volume and mass of packaging shall be limited to a low level, and packaging shall be practiced on a reduction basis.

4.3 Where technical conditions permit and this is consistent with the relevant provisions for the commodity, reusable packaging shall be selected; if reuse is not possible, the packaging materials shall be recyclable; if recycling is not possible, the packaging waste shall be degradable.

4.4 Requirements for paper-based packaging:

——Reusable, recyclable or degradable;

——The surface shall not be waxed or oiled;

——Moisture-proof materials such as plastics shall not be coated;

——Carton joints shall be bonded, and flat wire staples shall not be used;

——Markings made on cartons must use water-soluble ink, and oil-soluble ink shall not be used.

4.5 Metal-based packaging shall be reusable or recyclable, and sealing materials and interior coatings that cause harm to human health and the environment shall not be used.

4.6 Glass products shall be reusable or recyclable.

4.7 Requirements for plastic products:

——The packaging materials used shall be reusable, recyclable or degradable.

——On the premise of protecting the contents from damage, materials of a single material type shall be used as far as possible.

——For polyvinyl chloride products used, the monomer content shall meet the requirements of GB9681.

——Polystyrene resin or molded products used shall meet the requirements of the corresponding national standards.

——Products such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane (PUR) containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFS) shall not be used.

4.8 Inks for printing marks on outer packaging or adhesives for affixing labels shall be non-toxic and shall not come into direct contact with food.

4.9 For reusable or recyclable packaging, the treatment and utilization of the waste shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of GB/T16716.

5 Packaging dimensions

5.1 The dimensions of transport packages for green food shall meet the provisions of GB/T4892, GB/T13201 and GB/T13757.

5.2 Packaging units for green food shall meet the provisions of GB/T15233.

5.3 Pallets used for green food packaging shall meet the provisions of GB/T16470.

Sampling shall be carried out according to the inspection methods specified for packaging materials and related products. In general production, GB/T2828 shall be followed; for product certification or supervisory spot-check inspection, GB/T15239 shall be followed; for appraisal inspection and arbitration inspection, GB/T15239 shall be followed.

7 Test methods

7.1 For degradable materials, testing shall refer to GB/T18006.2.

7.2 For polyvinyl chloride molded products for food packaging, the provisions of GB9681 shall be followed; the hygienic performance of other packaging materials shall be tested according to the hygienic standards for the corresponding materials.

8 Marking and labeling

The outer packaging of green food shall be printed with the green food mark, and shall carry explicit instructions for use as well as instructions for reuse and recycling. The design of the mark and the marking method shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions; in addition to meeting the provisions of GB7718, green food labels shall, where the food is a special nutritional food, also meet the provisions of GB/13432.

9 Storage and transport

The storage environment for green food packaging must be clean and hygienic; appropriate storage technologies and methods shall be selected according to the characteristics of the product and the storage principles and requirements; storage methods must not cause green food to change or introduce contamination. Degradable food packaging and non-degradable food packaging shall be stored and transported separately. Green food shall not be transported together with pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other chemical products.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn), original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362210.html