Comparison of the Current Migration Testing Regulations for Plastic Containers and Packaging Materials in EU, USA and Korea or Japan

유럽연합, 미국, 한국 및 일본의 합성수지 용기.포장재에 대한 현행 이행실험 규정 비교

Packaging materials and articles that are used in food contact applications can transfer constituents in the foodstuffs. This kind of risk of possible health hazards to consumers has been generally recognized for a long time with the consequence of establishing corresponding food regulations in most developed countries. However, the language of these laws, their interpretation, and their level of enforcement vary from country to country. Accordingly, the actual migrating levels from packaging materials can be varied depending on the migration testing methods as prescribed in the national legislation in each countries. Therefore, there are needs of elimination of non-tariff trade barriers raised by sanitary and phytosanitary or technical measures under the Final Act of the UR Agreement. In this connection, the EU and USA are currently in an ongoing process of legislation harmonization to overcome potential barriers to free trade. In general, regulations governing component transfer in the USA are more complicated and comprehensive than similar regulations in Europe. In future, standard migration testing procedures for microwave heat susceptor materials and for the use of fatty food simulant should be established and also harmonized among countries. The objective of this investigation is to compare the current regulations for migration testing for plastic containers and packaging materials in USA, EU and Korea or Japan. For those regulations, Korean standards are required to be kept up with the international standards. By doing this, the related Korean regulation could be amended along with the worldwide progress for harmonization.