Food Contact Materials

"Food Contact Materials" (FCM) means all materials and objects intended to come into contact with food, such as packaging and containers, kitchen utensils, or food processing machinery.

The European legislation governing materials in contact with food is Regulation (EC) no. 1935/2004, which establishes the general requirements to be met by such materials and specific measures that contain detailed provisions for some materials (plastics, ceramics, etc.).

The principle underlying this regulation is that materials or objects intended to come into direct or indirect contact with foodstuffs must be sufficiently inert to rule out the transfer of substances to foodstuffs in quantities that endanger human health, resulting in an unacceptable change in the composition of foodstuffs or a deterioration of their organoleptic characteristics. Therefore, all materials and objects must be produced in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)m in compliance with the provisions of Reg. (EC) no. 2023/2006.

The two EU regulations concern the entire supply chain, which involves not only production and processing, but also distribution, including the importation of the materials and objects in question.