Packaging materials

So-called food contact materials are all items and materials with which the raw materials and finished food come in contact during manufacturing, e.g., equipment and production plant parts in the processing, and packaging materials for the finished products.

Food packaging has important functions

Food packaging can consist of different materials such as plastic, glass, paper, cardboard, aluminum or tinplate. They have a protective, storage and transport function. The packaging protects our food from environmental influences (e.g. light, moisture), from contamination and damage. In addition, packaging is a carrier of important information. In this way, packaging ensures the high quality, safety and diversity of the food.

Production and safety of food packaging

Food contact materials must generally behave inertly, i.e., no substances may pass over from them to the food if this would lead to an impairment of food safety. In addition, these materials must be produced in accordance with what is known as “good manufacturing practice”, i.e., that their production must take place within the framework of documented quality assurance systems according to defined specifications. The general legal framework is set out in European Regulation (EU) No. 1935/2004. For certain material groups, such as plastics, there are also extensive individual regulations on their manufacturing processes and permitted material composition.

Documents for download

The following documents – provided by Food Federation Germany – are available for download:

Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons

Toolbox FoodDrinkEurope

The BLL toolbox was adopted by FoodDrinkEurope and transferred into a toolbox for the EU, supported by BLL. This version of the toolbox is available for download here:

Toolbox for preventing the transfer of undesired Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons into Food (FoodDrinkEurope/BLL 2018) (PDF) (PDF, 2 MB)