Packaging Materials

Packaging Materials

Scientifically addressing the main challenges in the safety and quality of food contact materials

Task Force Information

Objectives and list of Task Force
members

Contact Information

Contact details in case you have specific questions

Activity Overview

Overview of ongoing and
upcoming activities

Expert Groups

Objectives, output and list of experts involved in each activity

International Symposium on Food Packaging

The flagship event of the Packaging Materials Task Force

Publications

List of publications of this
Task Force

Multimedia

Links to Task Force related documents, recordings and much more...

Completed Expert Groups

Details including experts involved of
each activity

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

WP DataTables

* Scientific Advisors

Contact Information

For more detailed information, please contact Konrad Korzeniowski at kkorzeniowski@ilsieurope.be

Activity Overview

Ongoing

- Technical Guideline on the Demonstration of Functional Barrier Properties of Specific Layers Toward Targeted Chemical Contamination

Growing concerns over chemical migration from packaging, especially recycled materials, highlight the role of functional barrier layers in reducing contamination. Technical guidance on evaluating barrier properties against chemical contaminants, including NIAS, is needed.

Start date: April 2026 - End date: April 2028

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.

 

Expert Groups

Technical Guideline on the Demonstration of Functional Barrier Properties of Specific Layers Toward Targeted Chemical Contamination

Background and Objectives

With growing concerns about contamination of food products from various sources, there is an increasing concern about migration of chemicals contaminant from new packaging materials and to a greater extent from recycled packaging. One way to reduce migration is, therefore, to use a functional barrier layer or layers. A technical guidance on how to evaluate barrier proprieties toward chemical contaminants including NIAS is needed.

Output

Deliverables include a peer-review publication and a Black and White Report

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

Z to A

Review of potential areas for global harmonization of risk assessment protocols for Food Contact Materials (FCMs)

Criteria for risk assessment in FDA, EU, Mercosur, India, China, Japan and Thailand are reviewed. Hazard identification and characterization are discussed. Exposure assessment and risk characterization are discussed. Experimental data required for risk assessment are described. Areas closer to risk assessment harmonization are highlighted.

Read more

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Abstract

Food Contact Materials (FCMs) are produced and marketed worldwide global value in excess of 400.20 billion dollars. All FCMs have to be safe and guarantee the safety and security of food in contact with them. Specific regulations, which establish the rules for all materials, exist in different regions, which implies that the same material has to comply with different limits depending on the region in which it is distributed and marketed. This paper reviews differences and similarities between the FDA, EU, MERCOSUR, India, China, Japan and Thailand. Various areas essential for a risk assessment are compared. Requirements for testing substances or materials is an area where there are divergencies or commonalities. Harmonization of regulations and procedures is needed, as humans are the same, independently of where they live, and the substances released by the FCMs are the same. The same protocols and procedures are not applied worldwide, but the results are essential for the risk assessment of FCMs. Examining the approaches of different regions showed that there is room for harmonization in many areas, to obtain a more harmonized risk assessment and facilitate subsequent risk management. This review establishes the main areas of risk assessment of FCMs, compares the main regulations in different regions and discusses the essential areas that influence their global risk assessment and provides a guide to help to the development of the relevant research field and industry. Some examples and proposals for the main areas for harmonising risk assessment globally, are given.

Read the full paper

This work was commissionned by the Packaging Materials Task Force

One pager

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Multimedia

One-Pager

Completed Expert Groups