Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

3 December 2005

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 503/2005

European Union (EU)* : Amendment to the Directive on Plastic Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Foodstuffs

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 58/2003 of 18 February 2003, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Directive to amend the lists of substances that may be used for the manufacture of plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. Certain existing restrictions are also revised. Details are set out in Commission Directive 2005/79/EC (the Directive), a copy (pdf format) of which is attached to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

1.  
2. Commercial Information Circular No. 58/2003 informed the trade of a consolidated set of rules laid down by the Commission governing the use of plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. On the basis of new information on risk assessment, the Commission has updated the list of monomers and other starting substances as well as the list of additives which may be used for the manufacture of plastic materials and articles. The Commission has also modified existing restrictions on certain substances such as epoxidised soybean oil. For details of the amendments, please refer to the Annexes to the Directive. 
    
3. With effect from 19 November 2007, Member States shall prohibit the manufacture and importation into the Community of plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food which do not comply with the provisions of the Directive. However, transitional period is provided for PVC gaskets containing epoxidised soybean oil which are used to seal glass jars for certain specific uses. For such products filled before 19 November 2006 which comply with the existing restrictions, they may continue to be placed on the Community market provided that the date of filling appears on the materials and articles.

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,



(Miss Sandra SOU)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.