Multi-material food packaging manufacturer Linpac Packaging has welcomed the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) decision to give an official positive opinion regarding the super-cleaning process used in its factories in Spain, Italy, and Germany.
In a report published by EFSA, its authors revealed that the critical steps of the decontamination process used by the company for its post-consumer PET produces a product that does not give rise to concern for a risk to human health, even when used with 100% rPET.
Linpac Packaging director of innovation Alan Davey said that the EFSA's decision enables plastic packaging and recycling industries to recycle more PET, further benefiting the environment.
"The challenge for plastics processors supplying the food industry is ensuring that the recycled plastic is suitable for food use and free from contamination. Our in-house super cleaning technology, which is fully compliant to European regulations, and is now successfully vetted by EFSA's technical committee, means that we do not have to rely on third party suppliers for that guarantee," added Davey.
The company, which will also perform migration and extraction testing, invested more than £8m in its in-house super cleaning technology during the past six years.
Investments were also made in high pressure, high temperature cleaning systems at the company's sites across the globe so customers can be confident that the recyclate used in the manufacture of its rPET trays is free from contamination and suitable for contact with food.
The company has developed a range of products which contain between 50 and 95% recyclate, including its new preformed rigid trays for vacuum skin packing applications and Rfresh Elite tray for meat and poultry.
