Food contact legislation // Product safety

Information on the use of flexible packaging in direct contact with food

Food Contact Materials

Most of flexible packaging is used in direct contact with food and therefore everything around Food Contact Materials (FCMs) is of key concern for the total industry. Only if product and consumer safety is ensured, the main functions and benefits of flexible packaging apply.

Food Contact Legislation

One of the core activities of Flexible Packaging Europe is food contact legislation and product safety. We share our opinions for new legislation from a converter’s perspective and cooperate with many other organisations along the flexible packaging value chain.

Our FPE Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Committee is a network of more than 200 contacts in our membership, which receives frequent regulatory updates. In cases of emergencies, the combined knowledge of the entire network is essential to create coordinated responses.

Regulations in Europe not only safeguard consumer safety, but also enables the Single Market.

A good overview about Food Contact Materials in the EU can be found here. It contains many current links to legislation (Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 or the Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles) and relevant bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Here you can find some relevant documents for the public by Flexible Packaging Europe:

FPE Code for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Flexible and Fibre-Based Packaging for Food
Guideline on use of isocyanate-based adhesives in packaging laminates

In case you are interested in further information, do not hesitate to contact us.