Caption: Laboratory inspectors carry out migration tests on food contact materials and products. Photo provided by Shanghai Customs (the same below)

The safety of food contact materials and products is an important part of food safety. Ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are carcinogens announced by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer, but some plastic resins and additives produced as raw materials can be allowed to use. In the production of various food contact materials and products. In recent years, the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has repeatedly notified the detection of ethylene oxide in food, involving nuts, cereal products, condiments and other products. Contamination of raw materials and food additives is one of the main reasons why food contains excessive ethylene oxide. In some countries and regions, farmers use ethylene oxide products for sterilization; food contact materials and products are another possible source of pollution , The migration risk of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in food contact materials and products has received further attention due to food contamination.

my country’s national food safety standards GB 4806.6-2016 “Plastic resins for food contact”, GB 4806.7-2016 “Plastic materials and products for food contact”, GB
9685-2016 “Standards for the Use of Additives for Food Contact Materials and Products” respectively regulates the use of ethylene oxide, ethylene oxide, ethylene oxide, cyclohexane in food contact plastics, rubber, paper and cardboard materials and products, as well as food contact coatings and coatings, inks, and adhesives. Oxypropane residues and migrations specify usage requirements.

Caption: Laboratory inspectors carry out ethylene oxide and propylene oxide residue tests in food contact materials and products.

The current national food safety standard GB 31604.27-2016 “Food Contact Materials and Products
Determination of Ethylene Oxide and Propylene Oxide in Plastics” is only applicable to the determination of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide residues in food contact plastic materials and products. Problems with test methods for residual and migration of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide in coatings, inks, and adhesives. The Shanghai Customs Industrial Products and Raw Material Testing Technology Center presided over the revision of the standard, which will effectively solve this problem and provide technical support for food safety supervision.

“In the next step, we will rely on the National Key Laboratory of Food Contact Materials Testing (Shanghai) to organize a team to focus on tackling key technical problems such as stability assessment of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and matching of detection limits during the testing process.” Liu Shu, a researcher at the Shanghai Customs Industrial Products and Raw Material Testing Technology Center, said.

It is reported that since 2020, Shanghai Customs has presided over or participated in 13 international and national standards formulation and revision projects, including 6 food safety standards.