Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

3 May 2007

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 194/2007

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. 503/2005 of 3 December 2005, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Directive to amend Directive 2002/72/EC relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Details are set out in Commission Directive 2007/19/EC (the Directive), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2007/l_097/l_09720070412en00500069.pdf.

DETAILS

2. Major provisions of the Directive include:
   1. Directive 2002/72/EC should apply to plastic layers or plastic coatings, forming gaskets in lids that together are composed of two or more layers of different types of materials. With effect from 1 July 2008, lids containing a gasket should comply with restrictions and specifications laid down in Directive 2002/72/EC. Meanwhile, gaskets in lids should follow the transitional migration limits set out in the recently adopted Commission Regulation (EC) No. 372/2007, which can be accessed through the following link:
      http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2007/l_092/l_09220070403en00090012.pdf;
   2. For plastic materials and articles intended to be brought into contact with or already in contact with food intended for infants and young children, the overall migration limit shall always be 60 mg/kg;
   3. A new reduction factor called "Fat Reduction Factor" is introduced in migration testing;
   4. The list of monomers and other starting substances which may be used in the manufacture of plastic materials and articles is updated; and
   5. The list of additives which may be used is also updated. Restrictions and specifications for phthalates are particularly introduced.
3. Except for the provisions on gaskets in lids and phthalates, 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 amendments introduced by this Directive starting from 1 May 2009. Plastic materials and articles which do not comply with the restrictions and specifications for phthalates shall be prohibited from 1 July 2008.

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries concerning the contents of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5500.

Yours faithfully,
 

(K H NG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

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