01/14/2016
Measurement of the migration of low-molecular substances from food packaging
Werner Zillger , LABC-Labortechnik
Food packaging protects contents such as perishable goods. It carries information, both for the consumer and the entire supply chain down to the retail business. Many foods cannot be stored and thus marketed without suitable packaging. Consumers first see the packaging on the supermarket shelf. The incentive to buy the product increases with packaging quality. Packaging materials include plastic, cardboard/paper/carton, aluminium, tin plate, glass and composite film.
Packaging with direct contact for foods is governed in Germany by the Foods, Consumer Goods and Feedstuffs Code, § 31, Section 1 (Date of document 07/24/2009, last amended on 08/03/2012): "It is prohibited to use objects as consumer goods or to market them for such purposes so that substances emanate from them to foods or their surfaces, except for portions that are harmless in terms of health, odour and taste, which are technically unavoidable."