Safety assessment of paper and board used in food packaging

Safety assessment of paper and board used in food packaging 

In the EU the legal foundations governing materials and articles coming into contact with food were contained in the Framework Directive 89/109/EEC which stated  

Materials and articles must be manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practice so that, under their normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer their constituents into foodstuffs in quantities which could either endanger human health or bring about an unacceptable 

These general requirements have been retained also in the new Regulation 1935/2004 EC on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. 

While specific directives exist to address the safety aspects of plastics, ceramics and regenerated cellulose there is, as yet, no specific directive for paper and board intended for food contact. It should be noted, however, that so far there has been no indication of actual harmful consequences associated with food packages consisting of these materials. 

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