US FDA’s CFSAN regulates Food Contact Surface Testing
With product safety being so important and major recalls frequently making news headlines, food contact substances testing is important for the health and safety of human consumption. In the USA, food contact surface testing is regulated by and required by the US FDA. USFDA regulates the safety of substances added to food including how food is processed, packaged, and labeled. In 1997, the FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA), amended the FD&C Act and established a notification process for food-contact substances.
The amended FD&C Act (United States, 1998a) defines a food-contact substance as “any substance intended for use as a component of materials used in manufacturing, packing, packaging, transporting, or holding food if such use is not intended to have a technical effect in such food.
While most of us readily identify food contact surfaces with packaging such as the plastic wraps, foils, and styrofoam used to package food, the products used for cooking, dining, and storage of food products such as aluminum saucepans, wood chopping boards, unbreakable cartoon plastic children’s plates, stainless-steel serving spoons and crystal champagne flutes are also regulated.
The FDA contains requirements that may include toxicology, chemistry, and physical and microbiology testing of packaging and contact substances. It even has specific guidance for recycled packaging requirements. Because of all the requests and questions that we have received from manufacturers and importers seeking laboratories for food contact surface testing, we have included a list of the links to the guidance documents below.
The most recent request that we have received is for:
- East Coast USA Laboratory needed for FDA Food Contact Surface Testing to FDA 21CFR 177.2600 Repeated food contact extractable testing….more information http://www.contractlaboratory.com/labclass/outsource_requests2.cfm?testrequest_id=49019.
If your manufacturer or importer of food storage, packaging or handling products needs to test their products, please
SUBMIT FOOD CONTACT SUBSTANCES REQUEST
Helpful Links to the FDA website are
Notification for the Use of a Formulation
FDA Form No. 3479: (PDF – 505KB)
- Chemistry
- Toxicology
- Environmental
- Redbook 2000
- Submitting Requests Under 21 CFR 170.39 Threshold of Regulation For Substances Used in Food-Contact Articles
- Use of Recycled Plastics in Packaging: Chemistry Considerations
- Microbiological Considerations for Antimicrobial Additive Submissions (June 2008)
- Guidance for Industry: Assessing the Effects of Significant Manufacturing Process Changes, Including Emerging Technologies, on the Safety and Regulatory Status of Ingredients and Food Contact Substances, Including Food Ingredients that Are Color Additives
