Guidelines on Testing Conditions for Articles In Contact With Foodstuffs (With A Focus on Kitchenware) - A CRL-NRL-FCM Publication, 1st Edition 2009

Abstract

Comparability of results is the most important feature of the measurements for official controls purposes. Reliability of results is in turn strongly dependent on test conditions, on how well a method performs and how it is performed by the laboratory that does it. The Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) and its National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for Food Contact Materials (FCM) have recognised that technical specifications are not always detailed in standards or legislative documents, and consequently there are sometimes gaps and lack of harmonisation in how official controls are practically performed. Therefore several guidelines were been initiated. The scope is to develop a unified understanding of the practical implementation of existing or new legislation in the context of official controls for FCM. The expected impact is to constantly improve the ability for NRLs to give the same competent advice in this field to National Authorities, food Inspection and private compliance laboratories for the practical implementation of official controls for FCM. This guide contains practical information to define the parameters of an overall or specific migration test according to the nature of the materials and objects in contact with food, with a focus on kitchenware. This focus was chosen because kitchenware is typically placed in contact with food in the home and thus the challenge is to define worst foreseeable conditions of use. This guide is intended as a dynamic document and therefore will evolve and expand into further editions to cover more aspects. This is the first edition. These guidelines have been endorsed by the EU official Network of National Reference Laboratories and approved by the EU Commission competent service DG SANCO. This work also highlights an important deliverable for the Network of NRLs. In particular, the members of the task force ¿test conditions¿ that have dedicated time and effort to provide input into the development of these guidelines. They are gratefully acknowledged here for their contribution: NRL-BE (Fabien Bolle, Tina n¿Goy), NRL-DE (Oliver Kappenstein), NRL-DK (Jens Petersen), NRL-ES (Juana Bustos), NRL-FR1 (Patrick Sauvegrain), NRL-EL (Timokleia Togkalidou), NRL-NL (Durk Schakel, Dita Kalsbeek-van Wijk), NRL-PL (Kazimiera Cwiek-Ludwicka), NRL-SI (Viviana Golja), NRL-UK (Emma Bradley).JRC.DG.I.2-Chemical assessment and testin