The European Commission has published an updated version of a crucial regulation governing plastic food contact materials. The latest consolidated text of Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 came into effect on 16 March 2025, providing updated legal clarity for food packaging producers, suppliers, and manufacturers operating in the EU market.
This update does not introduce a completely new law but rather consolidates previous amendments into the main regulatory framework. The regulation, formally titled "on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food," is a cornerstone of EU food safety law. It protects consumer health by establishing strict rules, including:
- A Union List of Authorized Substances: Defining which chemicals are permitted for use in manufacturing plastic food contact materials.
- Specific Migration Limits (SMLs): Restricting the maximum amount of substances that can migrate from the plastic into food.
- Compliance and Declaration: Obliging businesses to ensure their products comply and to provide declarations of conformity.
The revised text, effective March 16, incorporates all prior amendments, ensuring the legal document is current and unambiguous. All relevant businesses are urged to immediately verify that their product formulations and manufacturing processes fully comply with the latest requirements to ensure the uninterrupted free movement of their goods on the EU market.
