Materials in contact with food - Choice

Decree no. 92-631 of July 8, 1992, transposes into national law Framework Directive 89/109/EEC on materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs.

For the application of the inertia principle, implementing regulations must define the rules (composition, purity criteria, etc.) ensuring the suitability of the materials used for food contact.

The framework directive therefore provides specific guidelines for the various groups of materials:

• plastics including varnishes and coatings ;

• regenerated celluloses ;

• elastomers and rubber ;

• paper and cardboard ;

• ceramics ;

• glass ;

• metals and alloys ;

• wood including cork ;

• textile products ;

• kerosene waxes and microcrystalline waxes.

A number of specific directives have been adopted for plastics and regenerated cellulose film, and transposed into French law by decree.

In the absence of a specific directive applicable to a type of material, national regulations apply, such as those for stainless steel, aluminum, rubber and elastomers.

Manufacturers of materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs are required to produce a product that is suitable for use and safe for the consumer. To ensure that their products are suitable for contact with foodstuffs, the manufacturers concerned refer in particular to French and European regulatory texts (grouped together in brochure 1227 published by the Direction des Journaux Officiels) which define the principle of material inertia and its control, as well as compliance with the choice of raw materials from a positive list corresponding to the type of material.

The purpose of this article is to review the basic definitions and give the main examples of applications for materials intended to come into contact with foodstuffs.

Further information on the alimentarity of materials can be found in the article [F 1 306] and in the "For further information" section [doc. F 1 306] .