In the field of consumer health, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) helps ensure the safety of food contact materials and articles in Europe by providing the secretariat of the European Committee for Food Contact Materials and Articles (CD-P-MCA), an intergovernmental committee set up by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to address emerging risks to human health arising from the use of food contact materials and articles.

The CD-P-MCA is composed of representatives of countries which have ratified the Convention on the Elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia. Each member is chosen from national officials of the highest possible rank for their expertise in the field.

The EDQM maintains close co-operation with equivalent bodies in other international institutions, in particular with the European Commission.

Activities

The CD-P-MCA sets standards and examines questions related to the safety and quality of food contact materials and articles.

Its work is guided to a large degree by Resolution CM/Res(2020)9 on the safety and quality of materials and articles for contact with food, adopted in October 2020 by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. This instrument, elaborated by the CD-P-MCA, is designed to improve the protection of consumers from contaminants (metals, antioxidants, stabilisers, colorants, plasticisers, etc.) potentially released by material in contact with food, such as containers, work surfaces or packaging. Its provisions supplement the relevant European Union and national regulations.

Overall, the resolution aims to harmonise regulatory approaches to consumer health protection across Europe. The annex to this resolution includes guiding principles for the implementation of suitable policies in the member states and technical guidance for specific materials, such as cork, metals and alloys, paper and board and printing inks.

Metals and alloys

The technical guide “Metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles” is intended for regulators and business operators and defines the requirements for materials such as aluminium foil, kitchen utensils, coffee machines, etc., for which no specific EU regulations exist. It recommends the implementation of specific release limits (SRLs) in Council of Europe member states for metal ions that are released from materials in contact with foodstuffs. Now in its second edition, this guide takes into account Resolution CM/Res(2020)9 and reflects the latest scientific opinions and research from national risk-assessment bodies. It can be downloaded from FreePub, the EDQM’s free publications website.

Paper and board

Paper and board used in food contact materials and articles are the subject of a technical guide published in 2021. It includes guiding principles that apply to all food contact materials within the scope of Resolution CM/Res(2020)9, requirements for their quality and safety and instructions for compliance testing, the detection of recycled materials, supporting documentation and the declaration of compliance. This guide was prepared by a dedicated group of experts and approved by the CD-P-MCA in order to improve the protection of consumers from contaminants in food that originate from contact with packaging or containers. It is available for download from FreePub.

Printing inks

Multi-analyte methods for the determination of substances migrating from printing inks to dry food or food simulants were successfully validated by an inter-laboratory study among 11 control laboratories. A detailed description of the methods was published by the EDQM in 2021 and can be downloaded from FreePub.

These methods were established under the aegis of the CD-P-MCA following the adoption of Resolution CM/Res(2020)9. They are intended for competent authority laboratories and for private laboratories to assess the safety of food contact materials and articles using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.

Other areas of activity

The CD-P-MCA is reviewing further resolutions and technical documents elaborated under the former Council of Europe Partial Agreement in Social and Public Health Field (dissolved on 31 December 2008). Guidelines and policy documents on cork, printed food contact materials, coatings and elastomers (silicones and rubber) are among texts that require updating.

More information

A Slovenian version* of Resolution CM/Res(2020)9 on the safety and quality of materials and articles for contact with food is available online for free, thanks to the Slovenian Ministry of Health.

* Disclaimer

The official languages of the Council of Europe are English and French.

These translations into non-official languages were produced by national government agencies or commercial publishers in the countries concerned, with the permission of the EDQM. The only authoritative versions of these titles are those published by the EDQM, which assumes no liability for any discrepancies between the translations into non-official languages and the English version.

Links were correct at the time of publication. The EDQM is not responsible for the content of external websites.