Case study traceability of plastic materials for food contact

5 Case study traceability of plastic materials for food contact 

1 Types of food contact plastics and their components 

Plastics for food contact can be rather difficult to trace, owing to the large variety of components and the various processes used to obtain the final product. Considering the finished product that comes in contact with food, a first classification can be made as follows  

Products composed of one type of plastic only. Examples are monolayer foils used, e.g., in packaging for bakery or in the form of bags for household application. It is worth noting that a mono-material film, consisting, e.g., of polypropylene, may contain more than one component. If the film is coloured, this is obtained by mixing a polypropylene matrix with a colourant carried by another polypropylene, normally of lower molecular weight. 

Products composed of more than one type of plastic, either monocomponent, such as multi-layer films or laminates, or multi-components, such as plastic bottles and caps. 

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