EFSA Approved Two More Plastics Ingredients as Safe for Food Contact Materials

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved two more plastics ingredients as safe for use in certain food contact materials. The European Union (EU) agency's panel on food contact materials, enzymes, flavourings and processing aids (CEF) was looking at phosphorous acid, mixed 2, 4-bis(1, 1-dimethylpropyl)phenyl and 4-(1, 1-dimethylpropyl)phenyl triesters and at an additional use of 3, 4-diacetoxy-1-butene. As regards the former, the panel concluded “there is no safety concern for the consumer if the migration of the substance…does not exceed 5 mg/kg food. ” It added that the migration of a related hydrolysis product 2, 4-di-t-amylphenol should not exceed 0.05 mg/kg food. This covers its use as an antioxidant in all polymers at a maximum content of 1, 500 mg/kg polymer for contact with all food types at any time or temperature condition. The EFSA assessment had been requested by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) on behalf of the USA's Chemtura Corporation. Meanwhile the FSA had also asked for the other assessment, this time on behalf of the Nippon Gohsei, Japan. It wanted EFSA to consider the extension of the use of 3, 4-diacetoxy-1-butene as a comonomer in small percentages for the production of polyvinyl alcohol copolymer (PVOH) – it already has approval for use in of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH). These are used as an inner layer in multilayer structures or in direct contact with food, providing barrier protection for packaged food against oxygen. The panel said it was safe for the new use with a restriction of 0.05 mg/kg food, (its opinion again including a hydrolysis product, 3, 4-dihydroxy-1-butene). Source: European Plastics News