
SISTERS project is promoting sustainable strategies to address food loss and waste throughout the European supply chain by creating smart biodegradable and bio-based packaging for food as substitutes for fossil-based plastics. Nevertheless, it is essential to thoroughly validate the effectiveness of these technologies through practical testing to confirm their feasibility and to validate their safe use for the citizens.
Within SISTERS project, migration tests are performed by ARCHA within its laboratories, to evaluate the safety and verify the compliance of developed packaging as Food Contact Materials (FCMs) with the main Regulation (Reg. EC N. 1935/2004). The primary objective of this test is to determine whether substances from the material can migrate into food or food simulants under specific conditions to ensure that materials do not release harmful substances into food, thereby protecting consumer health.
At ARCHA, the test is carried on by using food simulants (i.e. Water, Ethanol, Acetic acid, Olive oil) that mimic the properties of actual food. The test conditions (temperature, time, and surface area-to-volume ratio) are designed to simulate real-life scenarios.
The food contact material is immersed in the food simulant under controlled conditions. The extraction process allows for the potential migration of substances from the material into the simulant. After the extraction period, the food simulant is analyzed to quantify the migrating substances. The results are compared against regulatory limit (10 mg/dm^2) as total amount that can migrate or specific limits set by authorities such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
So, conducting migration tests within SISTERS project is crucial for ensuring that packaging is safe for consumer use and is an essential part of the safety evaluation process. By simulating real-world conditions and analyzing potential migration, manufacturers can ensure their products meet safety standards and protect public health.
ARCHA is very proud to provide these results for the validation of the SISTERS packaging and to play a key role in the SISTERS project with this important responsibility!!
Stay tuned for further updates on the SISTERS project!!
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