EFSA green lights food contact materials
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has given its approval for the use of two new substances for use in food contact materials.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has given its approval for the use of two new substances for use in food contact materials.
All the applications were given approval under Regulation (EC) No.1935/2004 by the agency’s CEF panel on food contact materials, enzymes, flavourings and processing aids.
Titanium dioxide
The experts said they had no concerns over the use of the substance titanium dioxide in conjunction with octyltriethoxysilane (OTES), for use as a filler for all polymers up to 25 per cent (w/w). No CAS number had been assigned and the European Commission reference number is 93460.
Based on the particle size and on the insolubility of titanium dioxide, the evaluation focused on the assessment of OTES and of possible reaction products such as oligomers.
There was no risk to consumers “if the substance is the reaction product of titanium dioxide with up to 2 per cent w/w surface treatment substance octyltriethoxysilane processed at high temperature”, concluded EFSA, adding it should be classified in the SCF_List 3.
The final materials are intended to be used in contact with all types of foodstuffs in any condition of time and temperature.
EFSA added the evaluation did not cover titanium dioxide nanoparticles.
The request for the risk assessment was made by the UK’s Food Standards Agency, United Kingdom, on behalf of DuPont Titanium Technologies, USA.
Silver zeolite
The scientific opinion on the substance silver zeolite A for use to control microorganism growth on the article in polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC) made with up to 3 per cent w/w of silver zeolite A containing around 2.5 per cent silver.
The CEF Panel said it found no safety concerns over the use of the silver zinc sodium ammonium alumino silicate if migration of silver ion did not exceed the group specific migration limit of 0.05 mg Ag/kg food.
The experts noted that use of the substance could also result in migration of aluminium into food. The potential exposure to Al for an adult weighing 60 kg can be estimated to be at the range of 4.4 per cent of the TWI of 1 mg/kg bw/week set by the AFC Panel three years ago.
The request for the dossier evaluation, EC ref: 86437, came from the French Ministère de l’Économie de l’Industrie et de l’Emploi on behalf of behalf AgION Technologies Ing., USA.
Source: EFSA
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