EU approves 4 food contact chemicals

11-Aug-05

To ensure food safety within the EU, a regulatory panel (European Food Safety Authority) has given approval to four chemicals that may be used by processors in packaging or in equipment that comes in contact with their products. The ACF panel is a scientific panel responsible for assessing food additives, flavourings, processing aids and food contact materials The ACF panel has approved, with restrictions the following: 4,4'-Diaminodiphenyl sulphone, Carbon black, Perfluorooctanoic acid or ammonium salt and the hydrogenated versions of petroleum hydrocarbon resins. 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulphone, used in the production of a plastic packaging material- polyetherimide, is intended to be used in contact with all types of food and at any time and temperature during processing. The ACF has restricted the chemical's use to a limit of five mg/kg of food. Polyetherimide, marketed by GE Plastics under the trade name Ultem, is a rigid thermoplastic used in packaging and can resist a wide range of chemicals including most hydrocarbons, alcohols and solvents. Carbon black, used as a pigment in polymers for food packaging, has been approved by the panel, if users maintain the purity of the carbon black used so as to limit the migration of undesirable impurities. The panel restricts its use to a maximum level of 2.5% of the total mass of the polymer. Traditional quality control parameters such as "Toluene extractables" and "UV absorption" can be used as general purity parameters. Perfluorooctanoic acid or ammonium salt is used as an emulsifier and dispersing agent during the polymerisation process of fluoropolymers (polytetrafluoroethylene) polymer. It is also used as a copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene with hexafluoropropylene and perfluoropropylperfluorovinyl ether. The fluoropolymers are processed to produce articles for repeated use, such as parts for food processing equipment, tubes, tapes, coatings on cooking utensils and glass cloth. The panel restricts the use of the chemical to repeated use articles, sintered at high temperatures. In a remark for consideration by the European Commission the panel notes the substance is a perfluoroalkyl compound, which are a class of persistent, widespread environmental pollutants.