Linpac Plastics Pontivy says the assumption we eat one kg of fat a day is ‘well beyond reality

French packaging film producer Linpac Plastics Pontivy has expressed concerns about the European Commission’s evaluations on the use of DEHA plasticisers in PVC products.

Around 70% of the output at the Pontivy plant is PVC film with the remainder polyolefin. Quality manager Jean-Pierre le Breton said European legislation was “the most draconian in the world and by this fact also the most assuring for the consumers”.

But he complained that the regulations proposed by the European directives for specific migration limits applicable to DEHA “are based on the hypothesis that we eat one kilo of fatty foods each day, which is well beyond reality”.

“We have conducted a number of studies based on real figures for presence of DEHA in food, demonstrating that the PVC film made by the members of the European Polyvinyl Film Manufacturers Association is entirely safe and is in conformity with the European regulations,” he said.

Le Breton said PVC film was the best way for retailers to meet increasing pressures to better protect food products. He said Linpac could supply polyolefin multilayer film as an alternative. “If we offer this alternative, we do not do it without making a judgement on the best compromise between performance and price”.