FoodContact Industry Guideline

for the Compliance of

Paper & Board Materials and

Articles for Food Contact

Issue 2 September 2012

 Industry Guideline
for the Compliance of

Paper & Board Materials and

Articles for Food Contact
Issue 2 September 2012

Developed by the European paper and board food packaging chain:

CEFIC (suppliers of chemicals)
CEPI (paper and board manufacturers)
CITPA (paper and board converters)
FPE (paper and board multi-layer manufacturers)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword 1
1. Introduction 4
2. Core requirements 5
3. Methodology 7
4. Chemical testing 8
5. Good manufacturing practice 11
6. Best practice for treatments applied during converting operations 12
7. Requirements for use within multi-layers 13
8. Packaging layers not actually in food contact 15
9. Traceability guidelines 16
10. References 17

Annexes 18
Annex 1: List of substances 19
Annex 2: Requirements for recovered paper 20
Annex 3: Testing methods 22
Annex 4: Declaration of compliance 24
Annex 5: Future developments 25

Figures 27
Figure 1: Compliance Assessment Scheme for Papermaking Operations 28
Figure 2: Compliance Assessment Scheme for Converting Operations 29
Figure 3: Elements of the Determination of Compliance 30
Foreword
Paper and board has a long and successful history of safe use in the food industry in a wide
range of applications. These include applications where intimate contact is involved, such as
tea bags, baking papers, and filters, and direct contact packaging such as butter wrapping,
sugar bags, and cartons for dry and frozen foods. In addition it has a very wide range of
uses in transport and distribution packaging.
Although there is a wide range of applications, the proportion of packaging made from
uncoated and untreated paper and board and coming into direct contact with food bought
by the end-consumer was estimated to be less than 3.5% (3.39% is the actual value quoted)
of all direct contact food packaging in the EU-15 in 2000 (Ref. 1). Compared to other direct
contact food packaging materials, for example plastics (estimated proportion around 70%),
this estimate of 3.5%, less than 0.9 kg paper per person per year, is relatively low and thus
consumer exposure is similarly low. In addition direct contact is primarily with dry food
(approximately 50%) and with food that is to be peeled or washed (approximately 30%) so
only the remaining 20% is for contact with moist and/or fatty food.
Uncoated and untreated paper and board is not suitable to pack food with very high
moisture content (for example liquid food or wet chilled products), since exposure to high
moisture will cause disintegration of the material. For these food types coated paper and
board is commonly used, and in the great majority of applications direct food contact is
with a plastic layer. The proportion of packaging made from coated paper and board was
estimated to be 17% (equivalent to 4.4 kg per person per year) of all direct contact food
packaging in the EU-15 in 2003 (Ref. 2). Between 70-80% of all coated paper and board that
is in direct contact with food is liquid packaging board (used for instance in cartons for milk
and beverages) and 75% of this has aluminium foil as a barrier layer in the laminate structure
that will prevent migration from the paper and board. If liquid packaging board containing an
aluminium layer is excluded, the proportion of coated paper and board packaging used for
food contact is 7.6% (equivalent to 1.93 kg per person per year).
The paper and board sector has a long-standing commitment to the protection of human
health and the interests of consumers through the provision of safe and functionally
effective materials. The sector has cooperated over a long period of time with government,
both at national and supra-national level, and with other regulators to ensure necessary
measures for consumer protection. Over the past thirty years the basis for this measure at
the European level has been Directives and most recently a Regulation concerning materials
and articles intended to come into contact with food (Directives 76/893/EEC, 89/109/EEC
and Regulation No (EC) 1935/2004).
These Directives and the Regulation have all made provision for the adoption of specific
directives or measures relating to particular groups of materials or articles. However so
far no specific measure at the level of the European Union has been introduced for paper
and board and, although national and other provisions exist, the European paper and board
sector considers that it is now appropriate to publish this Guideline. As well as providing a
methodology for establishing the suitability of paper and board for particular food contact
applications, it is envisaged that this Guideline could form the basis of a specific legislative
measure in the future, a development that the paper-based packaging industry would welcome.

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 This Guideline considers the specific nature of food contact paper and board with regard to
the following aspects:

1. Paper and board consists predominantly (around 99%) of cellulose fibres, naturally
occurring minerals such as calcium carbonate, and natural polymers such as starch.
Cellulose itself is a natural polymer based mainly on glucose units. The properties
required of specific paper grades are obtained by adding chemicals that are in most
cases used in amounts significantly less than 1% by weight of the paper and board. There
are two categories of chemicals added:
• Functional additives that are intended to stay in the paper and board in order to
achieve a technical effect.
• Process chemicals or processing aids that are used to improve the efficiency of the
papermaking process. These chemicals are not intended to stay in the paper and
board and are usually washed out during the papermaking process.

2. Paper and board for food contact is different from plastics where most legislative
provisions have so far been concentrated. For instance:
• It has low consumer exposure due to the low proportion of all direct contact food
packaging, where the main application is contact with dry food.
• It has a completely different manufacturing process compared to plastics.
• Its predominant base polymer is cellulose whose monomer, ß-glucose, has no known
adverse health issues.
• Standard migration test methods used for plastics are not easily applicable or not
appropriate for control.

For these reasons regulation and control of paper and board for food contact using the
“plastics” approach with control of numerous specific migration limits does not appear
to be the most suitable. The already existing and widely used Recommendation XXXVI
(plus parts I, 2 and 3) of the German BfR (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, see Annex
1) sets compositional limits and seems to be a more appropriate basis for regulation and
control. This Recommendation is also referred to in other national requirements, e.g. the
French “Guide de Bonnes Pratiques”. The methodology in this Guideline is based on this BfR
Recommendation, although substances which are the subject of other approvals may also
be permitted (see Annex 1). Also introduced is a larger element of final product testing and
specific requirements for the control of recovered paper.

Issue 1 of this Guideline was the subject of an independent peer review,

carried out by Pira International.
The entire peer review can be downloaded at
http://www.cepi.org/topics/foodcontact/publications/peerreview

2
Preface to Issue 2, September 2012

The Industry Guideline for the Compliance of Paper & Board Materials and Articles for Food
Contact was first published by CEPI and CITPA two years ago.

It has been well received by organizations and authorities at both European and national level,
and has become a reference for the paper and board food packaging value chain. Its uptake has
been wide and the greater part of the text is still considered to be current.
The Industry Guideline was however conceived as a moving document, aligned with the whole
food contact material sector, which is continuously evolving. Fairly frequent revisions were
therefore envisaged and this new version is considered timely.

Stakeholders in the Industry Guideline were surveyed to assess the revision needs and from this
survey a list of aspects to be revised was compiled. Key amongst these aspects were:
• the publication of the new CEPI GMP
• the coming into force of Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 for plastics
• the update of the German BfR Recommendation XXXVI, and
• the concerns over the presence of mineral oils hydrocarbons in food

The revision has been made through the work of a Cross Industry Group, thus reflecting and
continuing the original cross industry approach.

The Cross Industry Group will continue its monitoring activity of the sector and the collection of
inputs to be taken into account for the next revision.

The underlying aim is to make available to all stakeholders a relevant tool for demonstrating
compliance of paper and board packaging and for the continuing supply of safe products to
consumers.

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1 Introduction
1.1 Objective
This document is aimed at manufacturers of paper and board materials and articles intended for
food contact and is designed to provide guidance for establishing compliance with Regulation
(EC) No 1935/2004. Whilst it provides a methodology for the demonstration of the suitability of
materials and articles for a variety of food contact applications, in itself it has no legal force. Its
use is voluntary and it should be noted that other compliance mechanisms exist which may be
used separately or in conjunction with this Guideline.
It is the intention that the contents of this document are not fixed and will be updated in
accordance with evolving best practice and knowledge of food safety. See Annex 5 for details of
developments currently in progress within the paper and board industry.

1.2 Field of Application

Paper and board materials and articles are manufactured from cellulose-based natural fibres both
bleached and unbleached, from primary and recycled sources. In addition paper and board may
contain functional additives and synthetic fibres and also other treatment agents and polymeric
binders for organic and inorganic pigments.
This Guideline applies to materials and articles constituted of paper and board (excluding non-
wovens as defined by ISO 9092) which may comprise one or more layers of fibre and which in
their finished state:
• are intended to be brought into contact with food, or
• are already in contact with food and were intended for that purpose, or
• can reasonably be expected to be brought into contact with food or to transfer their
constituents to food under normal or foreseeable conditions of use.
The two principal operations in the manufacture of paper and board materials and articles for
food contact are normally papermaking and conversion. Most of the specific requirements given
in this Guideline will apply at the papermaking stage and will be applicable to paper and board at
the completion of that operation. Some requirements are relevant to the converting operation.
Paper and board includes mineral coated papers, and the components including polymeric
binders in the coating formula are covered by the requirements of this Guideline.
This Guideline may also be applied to paper and board as it is used in other coated and laminated
materials, including combinations with plastics, aluminium, and waxes. Specific sections of this
Guideline deal with multi-material multi-layer materials involving combinations of paper and
board and plastics, filtering and baking applications, and packaging not actually in food contact.
Tissue paper, kitchen towels and napkins are covered by specific guidelines (Ref. 3) and
are excluded from the scope of this Guideline.
In providing requirements and a methodology to establish compliance with Regulation
1935/2004, it is expected that this Guideline would become widely used by companies operating
in markets potentially covering all member states of the European Union. Certain European
countries have specific national legislation covering food contact applications which will take
precedence over this Guideline and compliance with that legislation may be required.

4
2 CORE REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004

In accordance with Article 3 of Regulation 1935/2004:

“Materials and articles, made of paper and board, shall be manufactured in compliance with
good manufacturing practice so that, under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they
do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could:
• endanger human health, or
• bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or
• bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics of the food.”

This is the core EU legislative requirement for all materials and articles intended for food contact
and which has been essentially unchanged since 1976. Further sections of this Guideline deal with
specific test and performance requirements and the methodology for their application, that provide
the practical demonstration of conformance with this legislative requirement.
In particular:
• Clause 5 of this Guideline gives the requirements which shall be followed to provide
the assurance of good manufacturing practice. Paper and board shall be of a suitable
microbiological quality taking into consideration the potential end-use applications and
control of this aspect is a part of the GMP requirements in Clause 5.
• Annex 1 of this Guideline lists the substances permitted for use in the manufacture of paper
and board intended for food contact and conditions for their use. The restrictions provided in
Annex 1 shall apply.
• Recovered paper is used in the manufacture of many grades of food contact paper and board.
This Guideline has in place a number of requirements and ensures that there is a structured
and controlled framework for operations involving the use of recovered paper. Annex 2 lists
the details of these controls and gives the requirements which shall apply.

5
 2.2 Demonstration of Compliance
In order to provide evidence of compliance with this Guideline and Regulation 1935/2004, two
mechanisms shall be in place. Firstly, a formal declaration of compliance shall be prepared
for each grade or type of food contact material or article. This shall be issued and available
for immediate inspection both by enforcement authorities and customers. Annex 4 gives the
requirements for the content of the declaration of compliance.
Second, business operators shall maintain appropriate documentation and records which serve
as evidence of the statements made in the declaration of compliance. It is expected that these
latter records will consist largely of a continuously updated database of internal information
and, as such, cannot be made available in a single dossier for immediate inspection. Business
operators shall however produce on demand and within a reasonable timeframe for the
competent authorities adequate summaries of this information to demonstrate such compliance.
This documentation shall include the conditions and results of testing, calculations, other
analysis, and evidence of the safety or reasoning demonstrating compliance.
The documentation shall be made available to the competent authorities on demand. The
operators may indicate which information is to be treated as confidential on the grounds that its
disclosure might significantly harm their competitive position.
The requirements of Article 15 of Regulation 1935/2004 with regard to labelling shall be applied.
It should be noted that paragraph 2 of Article 15 states that labelling shall not be obligatory for
articles which, because of their characteristics, are clearly intended to come into contact with food.

6
33
methodology
Methodology
3.1 Assessing Compliance
Figure 1 provides a schematic representation of the method for assessing compliance for
papermaking operations, working through the processes in a logical sequence.
It covers:
1. control of raw materials as required by Annexes 1 & 2
2. control of the process as required by Clause 5 (GMP)
3. product requirements covered by:
• chemical testing required by Clause 4
• traceability as required by Clause 9
In fulfilling the sequence described in Figure 1 the assessments for the papermaking operations
are complete. The subsequent stage covers conversion operations and the controls required for
these operations are summarised in Figure 2.

3.2 General Principles relating to Frequency of Testing

The purpose of the restrictions and the relevant chemical tests, detailed in this Guideline,
is to ensure that the material or article is fit for its intended purpose. Testing shall therefore
be performed at a frequency which relates to the likelihood of a particular restriction being
exceeded1. In the special case where conclusive evidence demonstrates that a substance could
never exceed its restriction in the material or article then testing is not required2.

3.3 Risk Assessment Frequency

A documented risk assessment shall be performed when significant changes have taken place in
the equipment or process used to manufacture the material or article or in the supply of its raw
materials. The purpose of this would be to establish if product characteristics were likely to be
altered sufficiently to necessitate short or long-term changes in the testing regime.

7
1. Guidance on this matter is given in the CEPI Good Manufacturing Practice for papermaking published in 2010.
2. This exception does not replace the responsibility of the operator to ensure compliance, at all times, with Regulation 1935/2004
4 Chemical TESTING
CHEMICAL Testing
The restriction limits given in Table 1 shall apply to all paper and board covered by this Guideline.
As described in the following paragraphs and Note 3 to Table 1, testing requirements will depend
on the paper and board used and the type of contact.
The substances identified in the “Remark” column of Table 1 with * are generally found only in
recovered paper and board and will not need, in normal circumstances, to be subject to tests
for paper and board manufactured solely from virgin fibre. See General Principles relating to
Frequency of Testing in Clause 3 for further guidance in cases where testing is not required.
The substances identified in the “Remark” column of Table 1 with # will need to be subject to
tests only if, in normal circumstances, the end use of the paper and board is known to be for
contact with moist and/or fatty food3.

Table 1 – Purity Requirements4567

Tested in
Substance Limit in food remark
paper & board
sml (mg/kg food) Limit
Cadmium - 0.5 mg/kg #
Lead - 3.0 mg/kg #
Mercury - 0.3 mg/kg #
Pentachlorophenol - 0.15 mg/kg
No release of substances
Antimicrobial
- in quantities which have
Substances
an antimicrobial effect.
4,4’-bis (dimethylamino)-
0.01 mg/kg
benzophenone (Michler’s 0.0016 mg/dm2
ketone)
(non-detectable) #
*
4,4’-bis (diethylamino) 0.01 mg/kg
0.0016 mg/dm2
benzophenone (DEAB) (non-detectable) #
*
0.1 mg/kg
Azo colourants4 - as aromatic amine5 #
(non-detectable)
Dyes and colourants6 - no bleeding #
Fluorescent Whitening Agents
- no bleeding #
(FWAs)6
Polycyclic Aromatic 0.01 mg/kg
Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (non-detectable)
0.0016 mg/dm2 7
*
Di-n-butylphthalate (DBP) 0.3 mg/kg 0.05 mg/dm
*
2

Diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) 1.5 mg/kg 0.25 mg/dm2

*
3. This is from the BfR Recommendation (see Annex 1) and this exception does not replace the responsibility of the operator to ensure
compliance, at all times, with Regulation 1935/2004, particularly Article 3.
4. Testing is only required for virgin fibre based papers if azo colourants are added to the paper
5. Sum of listed amines. Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XVII Appendix 8 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=
OJ:L:2006:396:0001:0849:EN:PDF
6. Testing is only required for virgin fibre based papers if dyes/colourants/optical brighteners are added to the paper
8 7. Sum of listed PAH’s . A method for PAH measurement is in preparation in CEN/TC172/WG3.
4

5
6
7
5 Substance Limit in food

sml (mg/kg food)

Tested in
paper & board
Limit
remark

Diisobutylphthalate (DiBP) 0.3 mg/kg 0.05 mg/dm2

*
SUM DBP + DiBP 0.3 mg/kg 0.05 mg/dm2
*
Benzylbutylphthalate (BBP) 30 mg/kg 5 mg/dm2
*
Diisononylphthalate (DINP) 9 mg/kg 1.5 mg/dm
*
2

Diisodecylphthalate (DIDP) 9 mg/kg 1.5 mg/dm2

*
Benzophenone 0.6 mg/kg 0.1 mg/dm2
*
SUM benzophenone+
hydroxy-benzophenone+ 0.6 mg/kg 0.1 mg/dm2
4-methylbenzophenone
As low as technically
Diisopropylnapthalenes (DIPN) -
possible *
Bisphenol A 0.6 mg/kg 0.1 mg/dm2 #
*
Note 1: Testing for compliance with the limits in Table 1 should be carried out according to the testing
methods and principles set out in Annex 3. Figure 3 provides a schematic representation of some elements
of the determination of compliance.
Note 2: The limits quoted in Table 1 are from published sources, principally the BfR Recommendation
XXXVI (Annex 1)and the Council of Europe Resolution ResAP (2002)1 and its Technical Document No. 3 (Ref.
4). The limits for phthalates are taken from Directive 2007/19/EC dated March 30, 2007 (DBP, DEHP, BBP,
DINP, DIDP) and for DiBP from BfR Recommendation XXXVI (see Annex 1).
Note 3: There is a wide range of end use applications for paper and board food packaging which vary greatly
in their potential for substances to migrate to food. Thus testing for compliance with the limits in Table 1
need not be performed if it can be shown that the requirements of Regulation 1935/2004 are met. This
requires that, under normal and foreseeable conditions of use, materials and articles do not transfer their
constituents to food in quantities which could:
a) endanger human health, or
b) bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of food, or
c) bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics of the food.
Where testing is needed to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of Table 1 and Annex 1, the
general principles in Clause 3 and the CEPI GMP document shall apply.
Note 4: The reason for some limits being quoted in units of weight/weight and some in weight/area is the
different sources for the limits. The limits expressed as mg/dm2 are derived from specific migration limits
(SMLs) and are expressed as maximum permitted residual amount (QMA) of a substance in paper and board
assuming total transfer.
In practice, an analytical measurement will give a weight/weight result and a conversion to weight/
area considering the actual grammage of the paper and board will be required for comparison with limits
expressed as weight/area. (See Note, Figure 3)
Note 5: If it is assumed that complete migration of a substance occurs from the paper and board to the
food it is possible convert limits in food (SMLs) to a total quantity of the substance in paper and board. The
“standard” packaging /food ratio in EU risk assessments of migration is 6 dm2 packaging material in direct
contact with 1 kg food. Using this “standard” ratio the SML should be multiplied by 0.167 (or divided by 6) to
obtain a maximum permitted content in 1 dm2 of paper and board (QMA).
9
5 If the packaging to food ratio differs from the standard ratio of 0.167 and the value of the ratio is known, it is
permitted to use this value to obtain the QMA.

Note 6: Studies on mineral oil hydrocarbons found in foodstuffs have raised questions about consumer
safety. According to these studies, traces of mineral oils are thought to migrate to food from inks present
both on the printed surface of packaging and in recycled fibre used in the production of packaging papers.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published in June 2012 a scientific opinion on the topic; see
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2704.htm
In the absence of a validated test method and with the uncertainty continuing to surround the hazard posed
by mineral oil hydrocarbons, it is not currently possible to include limits values in Table 1. The paper and
board sector has however taken a number of measures to limit the presence of mineral oils hydrocarbons in
the food contact packaging including making commitments to use only mineral oil-free inks for printing this
packaging. It should also be noted that the potential migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons from packaging
into food can be limited by reducing as far as possible storage time and temperature of the food after pack-
ing.

10
5 Good Manufacturing Practice
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), in relation to food contact materials is defined as: “those
aspects of quality assurance which ensure that materials and articles are consistently produced
and controlled to ensure conformity with the rules applicable to them and with the quality standards
appropriate to their intended use by not endangering human health or causing an unacceptable
change in the composition of the food or causing a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics
thereof”
GMP shall apply to all aspects of the processes involved, starting from the selection and usage
of chemicals, wood-pulp and recovered paper, through the operation of paper machines and
finishing with converting operations and transport. It is recommended that GMP is implemented
through formal management systems. Where this is not the case it shall be demonstrated that the
arrangements provide the same level of assurance as a formal management system.

Note: Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 on GMP contains a requirement for a formal quality assurance system.

Conformance with the requirements of the ISO 9000 series will cover much of what is required to
fulfil GMP requirements which will include conformance to specification and use of appropriate
substances and preparations. The balance could be provided by conformance with formal hygiene
management systems (which include aspects such as control of contamination). Given below are
examples of schemes which include some or all of the above aspects.

For papermaking the CEPI Good Manufacturing Practice Guidance, published in September
2010, is a completely rewritten document for manufacturers of paper and board for food contact
applications. It replaces the version published in 2002 and is focused on risk assessment, ensuring
appropriate controls throughout the process and integrating quality aspects relevant to food
packaging into existing quality management systems in paper mills.
Aspects of the special safety controls required for the use of recovered paper in paper and board
for food contact will be included in the management systems set up under the GMP requirements.
These controls relating to GMP are included in Annex 2.

Papermaking operations
• Good Manufacturing Practice for the Manufacture of Paper and Board for Food Contact.
CEPI September 2010 (referred to as the “CEPI GMP” Ref. 5).

Note 1: This GMP includes requirements covered by the CEPI Guidelines for Responsible Sourcing and Supply
of Recovered Paper (Ref. 6)
Note 2: The relevant standards listed for converting operations may be applied to papermaking operations.
This may be on the initiative of the manufacturer or as a result of a customer request. Such standards
will normally be applied in mills manufacturing grades of paper and board for the most critical food
contact applications.

Converting operations
• CEN Standard EN 15593:2008
• other appropriate standards include the FEFCO/ESBO GMP, the ECMA GMP, the FPE/CITPA
GMP, PAS 223 in conjunction with ISO 22000 and the BRC/IOP Standard. (Ref. 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12).

11
6 Best practice for treatments applied during
converting operations
Best practices for converting operations should result from a hazard analysis and a risk
assessment. For packaging, the risk assessment shall be extended to the whole packaging
system.
Inks, varnishes and adhesives used for printing and converting should be selected to ensure the
lowest possible levels of migration into food by following the requirements of the Regulation
2023/2006. This process should be facilitated by consultation with the suppliers of those
materials and their guidance on the use of low migration and low odour products. Reference
should be made where appropriate to the EuPIA Guideline (Ref. 13).
The following two specific recommendations are made:

- UV cured inks: in view of the history of the use of these products and the photoinitiators
that they contain, it is recommended that they are not used in any packaging application.
However, it is known that certain manufacturers have begun to produce new and safer
photoinitiators and operators could use such products following assurances from those
manufacturers over their suitability for food contact in the application envisaged.

Inks containing mineral oils: in view of the finding of the migration of mineral oils in food (see
Clause 4 Note 6), it is recommended that printing inks containing mineral oils are not used for
printing paper and board packaging. CITPA members have entered into a self-commitment,
together with CEPI members, to phase out the use of mineral oils.

See www.cepi.org/topics/foodcontact/pressrelease/mineraloils

See also Annex 2 (Requirements for recovered paper) Section 3 and Figure 2.

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7 Requirements for use within multi-layers

7.1 General
This clause provides the requirements for materials and articles intended for food contact and which
are composed of two or more layers of different types of materials (termed multi-material multi-
layers (MMML)) which are intentionally bound together and where one of the layers is paper. The
commonly used materials for such multi-layer constructions in combination with paper and board
are various types of plastic film and aluminium foil.

In considering multi-material multi-layers in which paper or board is present, two cases need to be
distinguished:
1. MMML in which paper or board is present together with one or more non-plastic layer(s)
such as aluminium foil, or others, but no plastic layer;
2. MMML in which paper and board is present together with at least one plastic layer, and
optionally other layers.

A plastic layer laminated or extrusion-coated on to a paper web is considered a plastic film in the
context of this clause. It has to be noted that such products are often referred to as “coated paper”
within the industry although strictly a distinction should be made between the plastic coated papers
covered by this clause and papers coated with minerals such as calcium carbonate which are outside
the scope of this clause and are covered by Clause 2 and Annex 1 of this Guideline. Other non-plastic
coatings, as well as printing inks, are not plastic layers in the context of this clause.
Constructions involving packaging applications, such as “bag-in-box” packaging, where the material
layers are not intentionally bound together are not MMML.

MMML which correspond to case 1 defined above are required to comply with the Framework
Regulation 1935/2004 and the GMP Regulation 2023/2006. There is no specific Community
legislation laying down detailed requirements for these MMML.

MMML which correspond to case 2 defined above, are also required to comply with the Framework
Regulation 1935/2004 and the GMP Regulation 2023/2006, but additionally the plastic layer(s) are
required to meet specific requirements imposed by Regulation 10/2011

Note: Regulation 10/2011 does not regulate the non-plastic layers or the finished MMML, other than
the limit for vinyl chloride monomer.

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 7.2 Requirements
7.2.1 Requirements for paper and board when it is in direct contact with the food
Paper and board shall comply with this Guideline as if it was used by itself.

7.2.2 Requirements for paper and board not in direct contact with the food
The paper or board shall comply with this Guideline unless it is verified that a functional barrier
layer is present between the food and the paper or board layer.
Note 1: “functional barrier” is defined in Regulation 10/2011, Article 3 (15).
Note 2: the influence of “set-off” needs to be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of a
functional barrier.

7.2.3 Requirements for materials other than paper and board

Materials other than paper and board used in multi-layer constructions shall conform to the
relevant European or national legislation and/or guidelines applicable to them.

In the case of plastics, Regulation 10/2011 requires that the plastic layer(s) in a MMML should
fulfil the compositional requirements (Art. 14.1) of the Regulation but the overall migration limit
(OML) and specific migration limit (SML) requirements set out for materials exclusively made
from plastics do not apply to plastic layers in a MMML or to the MMML as a whole. (Art. 14.4).

Note: In order to demonstrate compliance with Regulation 1935/2004, the requirements on

inertness and toxicological safety should be considered. These aspects are outside the scope of
this Guideline but it should be recognised that OML tests conventionally used for plastics do not
work particularly well when a paper and board layer is involved.

7.2.4 Requirements for plastic layers not in direct contact with the food
These plastic layers should fulfil the compositional requirements of Regulation 10/2011 (Art. 14.1)
unless it is verified that a functional barrier layer is present between the plastic layer and the food
(Art. 14.2-14.3) 8.

7.2.5 Requirements for the finished multi-material multi-layer

There are no explicit requirements on compliance testing for the finished MMML.

Note: the occasion may arise that enforcement authorities analysing the food, or third party
laboratories testing with simulants on behalf of end customers, find a substance migrating which
has an SML in the plastics legislation. If the food contact layer is a plastic, this will raise compliance
questions. To be better prepared for such cases, the operator is recommended to collect
information on substances authorised with restrictions present in any layer of the MMML.

If the migrant originates from a paper or board layer and not from the food contact plastic, the
migration level may be corrected to take into account that the usage of paper/plastic MMML is less
than the 6 dm² per person per day which is assumed for plastics.

14
8. For background information see: Packaging materials:9. Multi-layer packaging for food and beverages, ILSI (2011)
8 packaging LAYERS NOT ACTUALLY IN FOOD
CONTACT
Regulation 1935/2004 applies to materials and articles in contact with food, or that “can
reasonably be expected to be brought into contact with or to transfer their constituents to food
under normal or foreseeable conditions of use” (Article 1 (c)). This means that the Regulation
does not just apply to the packaging layer actually in contact with the food. Therefore a
judgement needs to be made on whether or not the layers of packaging which are not actually
in contact with the food still fall within the scope of the Regulation because of a transfer of
constituents.

In many applications the packaging actually in contact with the food very obviously provides a
complete barrier (examples of such packaging include glass bottles and metal cans) and the
paper and board packaging used in subsequent layers does not fall within the scope of this
Regulation

In other applications, for instance when the packaging actually in contact with the food is a layer
which may allow transfer or the food being packed is particularly susceptible to organoleptic
changes, the Regulation may apply. The packaging manufacturer is not normally in a position to
assess the interactions which may occur given the diversity of food packed in similar containers
and the complexity of the interactions particularly relating to taint and odour. Thus, while the
manufacturer of a specific part of the packaging system will be in a position to give assurances on
the constituents of the that part of the packaging system, the user of the packaging, (commonly
the packer/filler) should conduct a hazard analysis and risk assessment of the ultimate suitability
of the entire packaging system for the food being packed, if necessary in conjunction with the
relevant packaging manufacturers. If it is decided that paper and board packaging is within the
scope of the Regulation then this Guideline shall apply.

15
9 Traceability Guidelines
Business operators shall use systems designed to meet the requirements of Regulation 1935/2004:
“the traceability of materials and articles shall be ensured at all stages in order to facilitate control,
the recall of defective products, consumer information and the attribution of responsibility”.
Industry has at the request of the European Commission produced guidelines intended to assist
business operators in implementing traceability. These can be found on the website of the EU’s
Joint Research Centre.
The following points, which add clarification, should be noted when designing and operating
traceability systems9:
1. there is no single set of rules. The systems will differ from operation to operation and will
consist of those elements within the traceability guidelines (or possibly additional ones)
which are necessary to achieve the requirement in the Regulation;
2. business operators are free to use whichever tools they feel are appropriate to facilitate
the operation of traceability; these could include, for instance, supplier invoices with batch
numbers, storage vessel and machine logs (manual or computer generated), weight lists,
paper and board samples, quality control records and bar code systems ;
3. the guidelines cover the traceability of the food contact material or article itself (see 4,
below) and not its raw materials or additives. However, it is recommended that all operators
should have systems in place to establish the origin and, thus, the liability for defective
incoming materials; otherwise, they will have to accept that liability themselves;
4. the traceability chain for paper and board packaging for food is taken to start from the paper
reel at the dry end of the paper machine and the key element of information transferred to
the food packer/filler is the job or batch number of the converted packaging;
5. retention of batch samples at the papermaking stage is recommended wherever possible. In
cases of suspected chemical or physical contamination, testing of such samples can rapidly
locate the exact time and source of an event and help to reduce the amount of material liable
to recall. The need for retention of samples in conversion operations will be determined by
the nature of the operation;
6. traceability systems should be included in the relevant procedures forming part of a business
operator’s quality management system, based on the ISO 9000 series or an equivalent;
7. rules should be made to cover the retention time for documents and samples within the
traceability framework. These should be in line with the shelf-life of the product. In the
absence of reliable data, a minimum period of five10 years for documents is recommended.
The correct functioning of the traceability system should be demonstrated for instance by testing
periodically using a simulated alert. A product, previously supplied to a customer, should be
identified by its reel/job/batch number and assigned as being defective. Then, the business
operator should test the ability to successfully and rapidly track its progress during production,
identify its source from another business operator (if appropriate) and identify any other material
likely to share the same characteristics, so as to facilitate a total recall.
The details required under Clauses 2.1 and 2.2 of the declaration of compliance (see Annex 4) form
essential elements of the traceability system.

9. Two common systems already in use in the paper industry are the CEPI Unit Identifier and the FEFCO Bar Code Standard for Corrugating
Materials.
16 10. DG SANCO – Standing Committee on the food chain law and animal health – Guidance on the implementation of articles 11, 12, 16, 17,
18, 19 and 20 of regulation (EC) N° 178/2002 on general food law.
References

1. Consumer Exposure Project Final Report. Prepared for CEFIC FCA Additives in paper &
board Industry Group (APBIG) and Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). Pira
International November 2002
2 Consumption of Coated Paper & Board in Contact with Food in the EU. Final Report for CEFIC
FCA Additives in Paper and Board Industry Group (APBIG). Pira International, April 2005
3 Council Of Europe; Policy statement concerning tissue paper kitchen towels and napkins.
Version 1 – 22.09.2004
4 Council of Europe Resolution ResAP (2002) 1, and Technical Document No. 3
5 CEPI: Good Manufacturing Practice for the Manufacture of Paper and Board for Food Contact.
September 2010
6 CEPI: Guidelines for Responsible Sourcing and Supply of Recovered Paper”. January 2006
7 FEFCO/ESBO: “International Good Manufacturing Practice Standard for Corrugated and Solid
Board”. October 2003
8 ECMA. European Carton Makers Association: Good manufacturing practice guide; v1.0
September 2011
9 FPE. Flexible Packaging Europe: Code for Good Manufacturing Practices for Flexible and
Fibre-Based Packaging for Food. Version 6.0, July 2011
10 PAS 223:2011; Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the
manufacture and provision of food packaging
11 BS EN ISO 22000:2005; Food safety management systems. Requirements for any
organization in the food chain
12 BRC/IoP: “Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials”. Version 4, February 2011
13 EuPIA Guideline on Printing Inks applied to the non-food contact surface of food packaging
materials and articles. November 2011

17
 References Annexes
Annex 1: List of substances 19
1. Consumer Exposure Project Final Report. Prepared for CEFIC FCA Additives in paper &
Annex 2: Requirements for recovered paper 20
board Industry Group (APBIG) and Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). Pira
Annex 3: Testing
International methods2002.
November 22
Annex
2 4: Declaration
Consumption of compliance
of Coated in Contact with Food in the EU. Final Report for CEFIC
Paper & Board 24
Annex
FCA5: Future in
Additives developments Industry Group (APBIG). Pira International, April 2005. 25
Paper and Board
3 Council Of Europe; Policy statement concerning tissue paper kitchen towels and napkins.
Version 1 – 22.09.2004 .
4 Council of Europe Resolution ResAP (2002) 1, and Technical Document No. 34
5 CEPI: Good Manufacturing Practice for the Manufacture of Paper and Board for Food Contact.
September 2010
6 CEPI: Guidelines for Responsible Sourcing and Supply of Recovered Paper”. January 2006.
7 FEFCO/ESBO: “International Good Manufacturing Practice Standard for Corrugated and Solid
Board”. October 2003.
8 ECMA. European Carton Makers Association: Good manufacturing practice guide; v1.0
September 2011
9 FPE. Flexible Packaging Europe: Code for Good Manufacturing Practices for Flexible and
Fibre-Based Packaging for Food. Version 6.0, July 2011.
10 PAS 223:2011; Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the
manufacture and provision of food packaging
11 BS EN ISO 22000:2005; Food safety management systems. Requirements for any
organization in the food chain
12 BRC/IoP: “Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials”. Version 4, January
February 20082011.
13 EuPIA Guideline on Printing Inks applied to the non-food contact surface of food packaging
materials and articles. November 2011

18
Annex 1
List of Substances (including lists for filtration, baking and other specific applications)

The substances permitted for use in paper and board conforming to this Guideline are given in
BfR Recommendation XXXVI. Paper and board for food contact11.
The web link for this document is: http://bfr.zadi.de/kse/faces/resources/pdf/360-english.pdf
The limits prescribed for the use of permitted substances in these Recommendations shall be applied.
Substances listed in the national legislation of the Netherlands (commonly known as the
“Warenwet Hoofstuk II- Papier en Karton”)12 are also permitted for use.
Substances which have been the subject of approvals other than BfR shall be permitted for use
if evidence is provided which demonstrates compliance with Article 3 of Regulation 1935/2004.
In particular FDA13 approvals made under 176.170(a)5 and 176.180 will provide such evidence of
compliance.
If there is a conflict between the limits given for a specific substance in the above lists, then the
limit for that substance given in BfR Recommendation XXXVI shall apply.
The substances permitted for use in paper and board for specific applications defined in the
following list are given in the BfR Recommendations listed below:
Cooking Papers, Hot Filter Papers and Filter Layers: Recommendation XXXVI/1
Web link: http://bfr.zadi.de/kse/faces/resources/pdf/361-english.pdf
Paper and Paperboard for Baking Purposes: Recommendation XXXVI/2
Web link: http://bfr.zadi.de/kse/faces/resources/pdf/362-english.pdf
Absorber pads based on cellulosic fibres for food packaging: Recommendation XXXVI/3
Web link: http://bfr.zadi.de/kse/faces/resources/pdf/363-english.pdf

Alternatives to Compliance Testing for Substances in this Annex

If it can be shown, by documented calculation from a knowledge of the contents of the paper and
board or other sources, that a limit or restriction given in the lists referred to in this Annex cannot
be exceeded, then testing for that particular substance is not required.
Testing with real food is permitted and migration test results obtained with the type of food or
foods envisaged for the intended end-use prevail.

11. Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) 19

12. Packaging and Food Utensils Regulation (Commodity Act) of The Netherlands of 20 Nov. 1979 and its amendments up to and
including VGB/P&2535892 of 22 Nov. 2004
13. Food and Drug Administration (USA)
 Annex 2
REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOVERED PAPER

1. General
In the absence of fully recognised tools to assess non-intentionally added substances (e.g.
biological tests, exposure assessment tools, threshold of toxicological concern) and to further
ensure the safety of paper and board manufactured from recovered paper, the following aspects
shall be considered when assessing the suitability of recovered paper as a raw material for food
packaging paper and board:
• the intended use of the material (food type, contact time and temperature etc.) and the
likelihood of transfer of constituents during that use;
• the quality and source of the recovered paper;
• the processing technologies applied within the paper mill to remove unwanted substances
and materials.
Requirements and guidelines related to these three aspects are given in the following sections and
also covered in the CEPI GMP (Ref. 5).

2. The Intended Use of the Material

The type of food to be packed and the conditions of storage, contact time and temperature
determine whether or not recovered paper is suitable for a particular application. If recovered
paper is judged to be suitable, then the grades which are appropriate need to be determined and
the following sections include the requirement for a risk assessment14.
The current best practice would be through the following steps:
a) identify the source of any contaminants;
b) establish a methodology for reducing those contaminants to a safe level in the final product;
c) state any restrictions on food type which might result from a risk assessment of the above
steps.

To ensure that these steps are followed in the case of recovered paper for papermaking , the
requirements of Annex 3 of the CEPI GMP (Ref. 5) shall be applied and shall be incorporated into
the management system used to ensure compliance with the GMP. For converting, the suitability of
recycled paper grades in appropriate applications needs to be determined through an assessment
taking into account the intended use of the material (including food type, contact time and
temperature) and the likelihood of transfer of constituents during that use.
For converting the procedures described in Clause 5 shall be used to ensure the suitability of
grades of recycled paper in appropriate applications.

NOTE
The principles concerning the use of recovered fibre contained in this Industry Guidelines and
covered in detail the CEPI GMP (Ref. 5) are to be cross-referenced by FoodDrinkEurope, the
association representing the European food and drink industry, in the next issue of a publication
titled “Guidelines for the safe use of Paper and Board made from recycled fibres for food contact
use”. This represents a positive example of the cooperation taking place along the supply chain.
20

14. Normally, this risk assessment should apply on a “once-only” basis in order to approve continuing bulk supplies of a particular grade of
recovered paper. It is not the intention that it should be applied on a regular basis, for instance on each delivery of that grade.
3. Quality of Recovered Paper

The paper industry, both manufacturers and converters, have control over the contents of the
paper and board which is later recovered. The industry maintains a dialogue with its suppliers
to make them aware that most grades of paper and board can eventually become part of the
recycling stream and thus find their way into food contact grades. These suppliers are expected
to maintain vigilance about the safety of their raw materials and communicate any concerns
to the paper industry. In particular, converting operators are responsible for applying a range
of substances to paper and board, e.g. inks and adhesives. These substances shall have well
-documented safety properties, known to the operator, as the converted product may either be
used as a food packaging material or article or eventually returned to paper mills for recycling into
food contact grades. Knowledge about the safety of substances is changing continuously and, in
cases where new toxicological evidence is confirmed about substances previously considered
safe, joint action will be taken rapidly to ensure that food contact grades remain in compliance
with all legislation. Currently, this action is formalised within the Eco-design project being run
by the Technical Committee which is part of the European Recovered Paper Council which
represents all industrial stakeholders with an interest in the paper and board value chain and has
the European Commission as an official observer.

Annex 3
Testing

21

Methods
 Annex 3
testing methods

As a general principle internationally recognised and validated methods should be used (e.g. EN,
ISO or equivalent) if such methods are available.
If such standardised methods are not available, analytical methods with appropriate accuracy and
precision may be used.
For testing to ensure compliance with limits given in Table 1 the test methods listed below are
recommended. If other methods are used, it shall be ensured that they give comparable results
to those specified below. For substances where standardised methods do not currently exist,
literature references are given as guidance on methodology that can be applied until validated
standards have been developed.

EN 645 Preparation of a cold water extract

EN 647 Preparation of a hot water extract
EN 15519 Preparation of an organic solvent extract
EN 14338 Conditions for determination of migration from paper and board using
modified polyphenylene oxide (MPPO) as simulant
EN 12498 Determination of cadmium, lead and chromium in an aqueous extract
EN 12497 Determination of mercury in an aqueous extract
EN ISO 15320 Determination of pentachlorophenol in an aqueous extract
EN 1104 Determination of transfer of antimicrobic constituents
Amtilche sammlung von Primary aromatic amines
untersuchungsve
rfahren nach §35 LFBG,
Methode L 00-00-6

EN 646 Determination of colour fastness of dyed whitened paper and board

EN 648 Determination of the fastness of fluorescent whitened paper and board

CEN Standard under Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

preparation
Aurela, B et. al; Phtalates in Phthalates
paper and board packagings
and their migration into Tenax
and sugar. Food Additives and
Contaminants 16:12 (1999)

Castle, L. et.al Food Additives Michler’s ketone & DEAB

and Contaminants, 1997,
Vol.14, No.1, 45-52
Migration studies from paper
and board packaging materials.
Part 2; Survey for residues of
dialkylamino benzophenone
22 UV-cured ink photoinitiators
Castle, L. et.al Deutsche Benzophenone
Lebensmittel.Rundschau, 91
Jahrg., Heft 3, 1995
Studies on functional barriers
to migration. 1. Transfer of
benzophenone from printed
paperboard to microwaved
food
CEN/TS Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs – Plastics
13130-13 substances subject to limitation - Part 13: Determination of 2,2-bis
(pre-standard) (4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (Bisphenol A) in food simulants.

23
 Annex 4
Declaration of Compliance

The declaration of compliance shall contain the information listed below. The declaration shall
be renewed when substantial changes in the production occur, when new scientific data are
available or when there is a change in applicable regulations.

1. Date of Declaration of Compliance

2. Manufacturer
2.1. Identity and address of the organization which manufactures the materials or articles.
2.2. Where appropriate and if different from 2.1, the address of the manufacturing site.

3. Identity of the materials and articles

3.1. Generic product description.
3.2. Trade name or grade description, including other relevant identifying information.
3.3. If appropriate, special instructions to be observed for safe and appropriate use.

4. Confirmation of Compliance with this Guideline and Regulation

1935/2004
4.1. Statement that the product complies with the relevant requirements of this Guideline and
the relevant requirements of Regulation 1935/2004.
4.2. Statement that all raw materials are in compliance with Annex 1, and, if appropriate,
Annex 2 of this Guideline.
4.3. Statement that the product has been manufactured in accordance with Commission
Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 on Good Manufacturing Practice.
4.4. Statement, if appropriate, that the product has been manufactured in accordance with
a specific GMP, hygiene standard or management system described in Section 5 of this
Guideline.
4.5. Statement of the conditions of use for the product including type or types of food envisaged
for the intended end-use and any special package storage conditions.
4.6. When relevant for a multi-material multi-layer construction, a statement that the limit for
vinyl chloride monomer does not exceed the requirement of Regulation 10/2011.

24
Annex 5
Future developments

Clause 1.1 “Objective” of this document makes clear that future developments would be included
in the requirements of the Guideline as knowledge evolves. In the paper and board industry, there
are two areas where knowledge is currently being developed and which may eventually form
part of this Guideline. At the moment, neither are sufficiently refined to use as risk management
measures and details are given purely for information. They are biological tests and correction
factors.

1. Biological Tests
Draft methodology for biological testing of food contact paper and board is in existence. This
methodology is the outcome of the joint European Commission/Industry project known as
Biosafepaper which concluded in 200515. The concept of biological testing in this context is
new and, consequently, development work is still in progress in order to convert the results
into a scheme suitable for industrial use. Developments include standardization of the test
methods and validation of testing institutes. Also, it is planned to add endocrine-disruption
and neurotoxicity end-points to those of human genotoxicity and cytotoxicity which are already
included. Ultimately the application of the methodology will need the approval of the appropriate
authorities.
It is believed that biological tests will be particularly suitable for the safety assessment of
additives not having current EFSA approvals and for the validation of paper and board recycling
processes. The ultimate intention is to move towards an integrated testing regime where
validated biological tests replace most, but not all, chemical tests.

2. Correction Factors
Another development is the use of Correction Factors which extends the “Fat Reduction Factor”
concept, recently introduced into EU legislation, to make a link between quantitative limits for
potential migrants and the nature of the food being packed, for instance if it is dry, moist, fatty or
frozen.
A central feature of current EU legislation on food contact materials and articles is the restriction
of the migration of chemical substances from the material or article into food.
The restrictions are based on experiments and calculations involving, first, toxicological data of
the substances and, second, the amounts of these substances which are likely to transfer to food.
The second of these two factors is derived from an EU benchmark which states that 1 kg of food
is wrapped in 6 dm2 of packaging.
This benchmark was set during the early days of the writing of food contact legislation and was
determined as a result of experience with plastic packaging. Whilst this benchmark might be
appropriate for a minority of uses of paper and board where direct and intimate contact with food
occurs, it would be inaccurate and misleading to apply it to the remainder of its uses.

15. Biosafepaper Final Report available at http://www.cepi.org/topics/foodcontact/publications/biosafepaper 25

 In these latter cases paper and board is used for much less aggressive applications than plastic,
for instance to pack dry food, for applications where the contact is brief or with the surface of
food which is subsequently removed or washed before consumption. In these cases migration of
substances will be much below those expected using the benchmark.
Therefore, there is a need to apply Correction Factors to the results arising from quantitative
substance tests for the material or article before comparing them with restrictions and
composition limits so that they accurately reflect the actual contact conditions. In many cases,
the use of correction factors would remove the need for testing for a particular substance as
calculation would show that transfer from paper and board to food could not occur at levels which
would exceed permitted levels in food in a particular application.
A further advantage of the Correction Factor concept is that it may no longer be necessary for a
manufacturer of a paper or board material or article to know the intended end use of the product.
Using the results of the test methodology, a reverse calculation could be made giving the paper
or board a Correction Factor threshold value. Thus, the paper or board could be sold for a range
of food contact applications having an equivalent or larger Correction Factor. This will also be of
value to converters in selecting the appropriate grade of paper or board for a specific application.
This mechanism would allow compliance with the requirement in Regulation 1935/2004 for a
declaration of special conditions of use.

Addendum to Issue 2
Progress continues to be made in taking these topics forward.
In the field of biological tests, a workshop was held in November 2010 under the auspices of
COST and outcome continues to be evaluated through a CEPI Working Group which aims to also
involve other stakeholders. In a practical application of the Biosafe methodology a sample of
the mineral oil used for printing inks has been tested and the results submitted to the relevant
authorities. For Correction Factors, work is in progress on their systematic derivation to relate
chemical migration from paper and board into foods, with migration or extraction values obtained
using food simulants or solvents. This has started with a review of published work and the goal is
to achieve the construction of a conceptual framework to allow the different report findings to be
assimilated and evaluated in a consistent and traceable manner.

”Dual Use’ Substances

Issue 1 of this Guideline had in Clause 2 the following requirement:
Substances which are subject to a restriction in food, and which are present in paper and board
shall not transfer to food in quantities which might cause the level in the food to exceed the required
limits, even though the level in the paper and board is within the limits required by this Guideline.
This might happen, for instance, if a particular substance occurred in the food through the presence
of an approved food additive or by migration from another part of a multilayer.
When relevant, the presence of any “dual use” additives which have been used in the manufacture
of and are present in the paper and board shall be included in the Declaration of Compliance (Annex
4).
Experience reported in the application of the Guideline is that it has not proved possible to fulfil
this requirement because insufficient information is available through the supply chain. It is
understood that further discussions of the issue are underway in the context of guidance to
Regulation 10/2011. It may be possible to re-introduce a requirement on dual-use substances in
future issues of this Guideline based the outcome of these discussions.
26
 Figures
Figure 1: Compliance Assessment Scheme for Papermaking Operations 28
Figure 2: Compliance Assessment Scheme for Converting Operations 29
Figure 3: Elements of the Determination of Compliance 30
 Figure 1
Compliance Assessment Scheme for papermaking operations

• Responsible Sourcing system for woodpulp and recovered paper

Raw Materials • Restriction for recovered paper (see Annex 2)
• Chemicals & Additives – only those in Annex 1

• GMP / Hygiene system

Process • ISO 9001
• Traceability

Refer to substances in Table 1

Compliance &
testing for those in Annex 1 (normally BfR Recommendation 36 list)
substances with restrictions

Substances in Table 1 Substances in Annex 1

Does Table 1 and its notes require Can evidence be produced that the
the substance to be chemically restriction in Annex 1 cannot be
tested in this type of paper or board exceeded (See “Alternatives to
for its intended end-use? No Yes Compliance Testing” in Annex 1)

Yes No

Can evidence be produces that this Perform quantitative test

substance cannot occur in this grade or (using Figure 3 if appropriate)
that migration of this substance to food Yes
could not occur in the envisaged end-use?

No

Perform test as required in Table 1

(and Figure 3 if appropriate)

Result exceeds Result is Result is within Result exceeds

the limit within the limit the restriction the restriction

Failure - the grade is Requirements for Failure - the grade is

unsuitable for this end-use substance satisfied unsuitable for this end-use
28
 Figure 2
Compliance Assessment Scheme for converting operations

Ancillary Materials
Paper & Board
Incoming Materials (these are principally inks and adhesives)
• Declaration of Compliance
• Compliance monitoring
• Use of International, European or National
standards recommended when available
(plus BfR and FDA where relevant)
• For Printing Inks application of the EuPIA
Guideline is required

• GMP Usually based on ISO 9001 and supported

Process as appropriate by hygiene management sytems
• Traceability Guidelines

• As relevant, “design-type” assessment of suitability

Finished Product (See Clause 8)
•Purity criteria of the final product according to the
ancillary materials added.

Review of compliance

29
 Figure 3
ELEMENTS OF THE DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE

Obtain Restriction Limit

for substance in question (RL)

if units are by area, if units are by weight,

(e.g. mg/dm²) (e.g. mg/g)

Convert limit to mg/kg using

Convert limit to mg/kg
formula given in Note 1, below

Compare Limit to Total Extract (TE)

to determine compliance as shown in Figure 1

Perform extraction test on paper sample for chemical

in question and quote result in mg/kg
(= “Total Extract” TE)

Note

Qa x 100000
Qm =
G

Qm = concentration of substance in paper as mg/kg

Qa = concentration of substance in paper as mg/dm²
G = grammage of paper as g/m²

30
 DOCUMENT HISTORY

Issue 1 First published March 2010

Issue 2 Published September 2012

Developed by the European paper and board food packaging chain:

CEFIC (suppliers of chemicals)
CEPI (paper and board manufacturers)
CITPA (paper and board converters)
FPE (paper and board multilayer manufacturers)

Published by:

CEPI aisbl CITPA

Confederation of European Paper Industries International Confederation of Paper
and Board Converters in Europe
250 Avenue Louise, Box 80
250 Avenue Louise, Box 108
B-1050 Brussels
B-1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 627 49 11 Fax: +32 2 646 81 37
Tel: +32 2 646 40 70 Fax: +32 2 646 64 60
[email protected] - www.cepi.org
www.citpa-europe.org