No evidence of migration from PE, PP and vinyl acetate copolymer films into food

No evidence of migration from PE, PP and vinyl acetate copolymer films into food

The Packaging and Industrial Films Association has welcomed the all-clear given to food packaging films in the second year of testing by the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Pifa chief executive Jim Pugh said: “This report should provide an assurance to the consumer that the Food Safety watchdog is extremely active in its surveillance of food packaging and that the plastics films used conform to the most rigorous safety regulations.”

In the second year of the FSA’s three-year programme the agency sampled 150 foods packed in PE, PP and vinyl acetate copolymer plastic films purchased from supermarkets and other shops. The survey “found no evidence of monomer migration from polyethylene or polypropylene” and the FSA report went on to say “similarly vinyl acetate was not detected in any food sample”.

The survey also included blind testing on foods that had been spiked and the tests accurately detected the contaminated sample, said Pifa.