This overview gives an excellent introduction to analysing NIAS. It considers non-harmonised FCMs, highlighting various FCMs and their unique requirements for analysis of migrants (IAS (Intentionally Added Substances) or NIAS). It presents background information on different test conditions for the different FCMs and why the standard tests used for plastics outlined in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (14 January 2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food) are inappropriate in some instances for many non-harmonised FCMs. It also gives an overview of the various analytical techniques available, along with their strengths and weaknesses, as no single technique will detect all NIAS or absolutely quantify all of them. It also outlines the importance of sampling, with do’s and don’ts. Finally, it includes a proposal for communicating along the supply chain, which gains more importance with the stated intention of the European Commission (DG Sante) to request details of detected NIAS to be passed to the end user of the article.
This overview provides an ideal introduction for non-dedicated analysts willing to understand different potential analytical techniques and the interpretation and relevance of their results. It may also be of interest to risk managers who need to assess the safety of FCMs where differing results may cause issues.
Download the report here.
Commissioned by the Packaging Materials Task Force