Dual Use Packaging Additive Limits under European Food Contact Rules
Dual-use additives migrating from plastic packaging into food must satisfy both packaging specific migration limits and direct food additive maximum levels.
Extraction Testing
Meaning
Analytical laboratory procedures subjecting polymer samples to aggressive solvent contact measure the total quantity of migratable chemical substances present within a plastic material. Extraction testing determines whether plastic packaging transfers antioxidants, oligomers, plasticizers or residual monomers into food contact simulants under extreme temperature and time conditions. Testing protocols utilize total immersion in solvents like hexane or ethanol to establish total extractable organic content.
Exceeding statutory extraction limits disqualifies the resin formulation from commercial food or pharmaceutical packaging use.
Laboratory Procedures
Test specimens are submerged in harsh liquid media elevated to specific exposure temperatures. Conducting extraction testing allows laboratory technicians to quantify non-volatile residues using gravimetric analysis or gas chromatography. Results reveal total migratable content, serving as a worst-case boundary for real-world chemical migration.
High processing temperatures during moulding can degrade additives, increasing the concentration of low molecular weight extractables.
Material Qualification
Qualification programs evaluate raw resin grades and recycled plastic blends to verify safety for regulated applications. Submitting new masterbatch formulations to extraction testing confirms that colorants and processing aids do not leach out at unsafe levels. Datasheet claims of food contact suitability must be supported by certified laboratory extraction reports.
Compounders modify additive packages when extraction results exceed allowable regulatory limits.
Food Safety
Regulations governing food contact mandate strict upper bounds on global extractable substances to safeguard consumer safety. Interpreting extraction testing results requires comparing solvent residue weights against specific surface-area-to-volume packaging ratios. Converting facilities retain test certificates to prove compliance during regulatory audits.
Continuous monitoring ensures consistent material purity across variable raw material lots.