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 |
Christian Kirchnawy* | Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology | Team Leader | AT |
Sigrid Gerold | Mayr-Melnhof Karton | Food Contact Specialist | AT |
Sami Hamdi | Mondelēz International | Senior Associate Principal Scientist | UK |
Thomas Gude | ETH Zurich | Lecturer in Food Safety and Analysis | CH |
Bastian Knaup | Tetra Pak | Manager Advanced Analytics and Chemical Safety | DE |
Peter OIdring | Sherwin Williams | Regulatory Affairs Manager | UK |
Susanne Kunda | Südzucker Group | Manager Product Safety | DE |
Laurence Gijs | Dow Europe | EHS&S Regulatory Compliance Manager | DE |
Tina Richter | Swiss Quality testing Services | Laboratory Manager Food Contact Materials | CH |
Si Wang | PepsiCo International | Senior Scientist in Scientific Affairs | UK |
Konrad Korzeniowski | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
* Scientific Advisors
Contact Information
For more detailed information, please contact Konrad Korzeniowski at kkorzeniowski@ilsieurope.be
Activity Overview
Ongoing
- Harmonised Approaches for Risk Assessment and Management of Food Contact Materials and Articles
An Expert Group will review existing approaches for risk assessment and management of Food Contac Materials (IAS and NIAS) and identify similarities and differences between materials categories (e.g. plastics vs paper or metals) and geographic areas (e.g. EU, US, China, etc.) before recommending the most appropriate approaches to use, particularly for non harmonised food contact materials.
Start: Apr 2024 - End: Sep 2025
- 8th International Symposium on Food Packaging
Save the date for 1-4 April 2025!
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.
Abstract submission and registration are now open!
In the pipeline
- Sustainable Packaging
More information to come soon!
Expert Groups
Harmonised Approaches for Risk Assessment and Management of Food Contact Materials and Articles
Background and Objectives
The Expert Group is reviewing existing approaches for risk assessment and management of Food Contact Materials (FDMs): intentionally added substances (IAS), non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) and Not Listed Substance (NLS). They will identify similarities and differences between materials categories and geographic areas (EU, US, China, etc.) before recommending the most appropriate approaches to use. They will consider the EU Chemicals Strategy and the ONE HEALTH approach as well as the role of science for regulatory purposes for management of Food Safety.
Output
The resulting publication will complement other ILSI publications concerning FCMs, including Koster et al (2015), Nerin et al (2022) and Schilter et al. The outputs of these previous activities are used in the risk assessment of FCMs.
Expert Group Members
Cristina Nerin | University of Zaragoza | Professor | ES |
Peter Oldring | Sherwin Williams | Regulatory Affairs Manager | UK |
Olivier Vitrac | INRAE | Research Director | FR |
Thomas Gude | ETH Zurich | Lecturer in Food Safety and Analysis | CH |
Charlène Lacourt | Danone Nutricia Research | Toxicologist-risk assessor | FR |
Si Wang | PepsiCo International | Senior Scientist Scientific Affairs | UK |
Bastian Knaup | Tetra Pak | Manager Advanced Analytics & Chemical Safety | DE |
Christian Kirchnawy | Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology | Researcher and Project manager | AT |
Alan Boobis | Imperial College London | Professor | UK |
Suzanne Fitzpatrick | US-FDA | Senior Advisor for Toxicology | USA |
Debabrata Kanungo | CSIR-Indian Institute Of Toxicology Research, | Additional Director General | IN |
Sarah Dubail | Sherwin Williams | Regulatory Affairs Manager | UK |
Publications
Oldest to Newest
Packaging Materials 8: Printing Inks for Food Packaging Composition and Properties of Printing Inks
2011
Packaging Materials 9: Multilayer Packaging for Food and Beverages
2011
ILSI Europe Report Series. 2011:1-43. Commissioned by the Packaging Materials Task Force.
Food Packaging: Scientific Developments Supporting Safety and Innovation (Proceedings)
2014
Food Additives and Contaminants: Part A. 2014;31(3):341-565 (Proceedings). Commissioned by the Packaging Materials Task Force.
Guidance on Best Practices on the Risk Assessment of Non Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) in Food Contact Materials and Articles
ILSI Europe Report Series, 2015
Outlook and Challenges of Nanotechnologies for Food Packaging
2016
Packaging Technology and Science. 2016;29(12): 615-648. Commissioned by the Packaging Materials Task Force.