Regulatory System in the European Union

The Commission of European Communities (EEC) has compiled a number of Directives relating to plastics used in food contact applications. The Framework Directive 76/893/EEC was issued in 1976 and a new Framework Directive 89/109/ EEC which governs all food contact materials was issued in 1989. In 1990 a Plastics Directive 90/128/EEC [1] was issued to be followed by several amendments, the fourth amendment being issued in March 1996 and the fifth in December 1996. 

In 2002, Directive 2002/72/EEC [2] was issued. This involves amendments to the Framework directive 89/109/EEC to include traceability and includes active packaging systems, e.g., packaging which deliberately interacts with the packaged food, for example as permeable gas barriers used in packaged meat applications. 

Directive 2002/72/EEC [2] and its amendments include items which govern the use of plastics food contact materials, and the creation of a positive list of raw materials such as the polymer and the additive system used. This Directive also requires petitioners to prove the safety of these substances. 

Leadbitter [4] discusses the current and future regulations controlling the safe use of polyvinylchloride (PVC) in food contact applications and the implication of this for PVC manufacturers. 

In 1994 the European Commission published a Synoptic Document No.7 [6] which provides a provisional list of additives suitable for the production of food contact plastics. 

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