European priorities for research to support legislation in the area of food contact materials and articles

A strong science base is required to underpin the planning and decision-making process involved in determining future European community legislation on materials and articles in contact with food. Significant progress has been made in the past 5 years in European funded work in this area, with many developments contributing to a much better understanding of the migration process, and better and simpler approaches to food control. In this paper this progress is reviewed against previously identified work-areas (identified in 1994) and conclusions are reached about future requirements for R&D to support legislation on food contact materials and articles over the next 5 or so years.     

Evaluation of e-beam, γ- and X-ray treatment on the chemistry and safety of polymers used with pre-packaged irradiated foods: a review

Polymers used to package food intended for irradiation must currently receive separate US FDA approvals for e-beam, gamma and X-radiation. The three forms of irradiation have virtually indistinguishable effects on polymers held in vacuum. However, in air, irradiation damage is favoured by slow dose rates, such as that characteristic of gamma irradiation. Irrespective of irradiation type, theory and existing polymer irradiation literature both suggest that radiolytic products in food contact polymers should not present a health hazard due to migration into the foods they contain. Equations are presented which calculate the FDA allowable content of radiolytic products to achieve 'threshold of regulation' clearance and conversion of radiolytic yield values (G-values) into ppb concentration in the treated polymer in conformance with FDA practice. An approach to quantifying the functional barrier of a polymer is discussed.