Scientifically addressing the main challenges in the safety and quality of food contact materials
Task Force Information
Objectives
For more than 30 years, the Task Force has strived to understand the challenges to ensure safe food contact materials for food consumption by:
- Evaluating food contact materials safety and their interactions with food to ensure consumers’ safety at minimal environmental impact.
- Addressing recent improvements in food production and distribution, leading to an increased sophistication of food packaging.
Task Force Members
| Charlène Lacourt - Chair | Danone Nutricia Research | Toxicologist-Risk Assessor | FR |
| Christina Nerin - Vice Chair | University of Zaragoza | Full Professor | ES |
| Sami Hamdi | Mondelēz International | Senior Associate Principal Scientist | UK |
| Sigrid Gerold | Mayr-Melnhof Karton | Food Contact Specialist | AT |
| Bastian Knaup | Tetra Pak | Manager Advanced Analytics and Chemical Safety | DE |
| Thomas Gude | ETH Zurich | Lecturer in Food Safety and Analysis | CH |
| Susanne Kunda | Südzucker Group | Manager Product Safety | DE |
| Peter Oldring | Sherwin Williams | Regulatory Affairs Director | UK |
| Tina Richter | Swiss Quality testing Services | Laboratory Manager Food Contact Materials | CH |
| Laurence Gijs | Dow Europe | EHS&S Regulatory Compliance Manager | DE |
| Biljana Dimcic | AbInBev | SRA Manager | BE |
| Si Wang | PepsiCo International | Senior Scientist in Scientific Affairs | UK |
| Christian Kirchnawy | OFI (Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology) | Team Leader | AT |
| Marinella Vitulli | Food Contact Center | Director | IT |
| Luca La Gamba | Soremartec | Food Safety & Product Integrity Packaging Senior Manager | IT |
* Scientific Advisors
Contact Information
For more detailed information, please contact Konrad Korzeniowski at kkorzeniowski@ilsieurope.be
Activity Overview
Ongoing
- Safety assessment of recycling processes for polyolefins (PO) and polystyrene (PS).
The Task Force is organising a workshop to determine the most appropriate evaluation criteria for the safety of these materials. These requirements would help ensure all the potential safety risks are taken into account and controlled with a holistic approach from feedstock to final articles reaching the consumer in compliance with the high standards of safety expected by EFSA.
Workshop date: 21-22 Oct 2025
In the pipeline
- International Symposium on Food Packaging
The flagship event of the Packaging Materials Task Force. The next edition is planned for Spring 2028.
- Recyclability of plastic packaging
An activity developed on the outcomes of the workshop of Oct 2025.
- Functional barriers safety, risk assessment and management
Expert Groups
Coming soon...
International Symposium on Food Packaging
About the event
ILSI Europe International Symposium on Food Packaging is held every four years. It is internationally recognised as a scientific forum to discuss and move forward the science that supports safety and innovation in the field, with minimal environmental impact. This conference of experts facilitates transfer of knowledge and brings innovative solutions to the most pressing issues in this field.
Previous editions
Curious about the journey so far? Explore the highlights, programmes, and key takeaways from our previous editions below.
Publications
Event Proceedings
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