Risk assessment of migration from packaging materials into food

This article reviews the principles to assess the risk of migration from food packaging materials and related application of such materials. The point of view considered in this article is that most of the past crises involving materials could have been avoided with a correct appraisal of mass transfer and the use of numerical tools. Migration modeling is widely available today and accepted in major global regulations for food contact materials. This article does not promote any particular platform but shows how their basic or advanced use can prevent the risk of migration regardless of existing or pre-existing regulations. Risk assessment is proposed as a generic tool to revise the formulation of materials (thermoplastics, varnishes, coatings, lacquers, inks, etc), optimize packaging design and supply chains, promote new molecular design of additives, devise improved recycling procedures, and accelerate the acceptance of new polymers and materials (e.g., biosourced, biodegradable, recycled, with repeated use)