Mercosur Proposes Changes to Food Contact Plastic Technical Regulations

WTO circulates two draft resolutions for Mercosur that, if accepted, will revise their technical regulations for food contact plastics. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 18, 2020 - The World Trade Organization (WTO) has circulated two notifications signaling Mercosur’s intention to revise its technical regulations for food contact plastic materials and articles.

The two notifications were submitted by Paraguay and circulated by the WTO in July 2020. They cover two pieces of draft legislation:

• Mercosur/LXXII SGT No. 3/P Resolution No. 2/20 (draft Resolution No. 02/20) – attached to WTO document number 20-5191
• Mercosur/LXXII SGT No. 3/P Resolution No. 3/20 (draft Resolution No. 03/20), attached to WTO document number 20-5192

If/when approved, Resolution No. 2/20 will revise sections 5 and 7 of the Annex to GMC Resolution No. 56/92 – General provisions for food contact plastics. It will change the overall migration limits and their requirements:
• Food contact plastics – no more than 10 mg/dm²
• Food contact plastics with a defined volume or for children under the age of 3 – no more than 60 mg/kg
It also only allows colorants and pigments that meet a specific Mercosur Technical Regulation

If/when approved, Resolution No. 3/20 will revise GMC Resolution No. 2/12 – Positive list of monomers, other starting substances and polymers authorized for the manufacture of food contact plastics. Among the provisions in the draft are the addition of 19 new substances and amendments to several others. The specific migration requirements include:
• Primary aromatic amines, simulant B (3% acetic acid) – no more than 0.01 mg/kg (sum total)
• Bisphenol A (BPA) – no more than 0.05 mg/kg

Metals
• Aluminium – no more than 1 mg/kg
• Barium – no more than 1 mg/kg
• Cobalt – no more than 0.05 mg/kg
• Copper – no more than 5 mg/kg
• Iron – no more than 48 mg/kg
• Lithium – no more than 0.6 mg/kg
• Manganese – no more than 0.6 mg/kg
• Nickel – no more than 0.02 mg/kg
• Zinc – no more than 5 mg/kg

Stakeholders should be aware BPA is prohibited for polymers in feeding bottles etc. for children under three years of age. Also, salts, including double salts and acid salts, from approved acids, phenols and alcohols, are approved in relation to the metals.

Mercosur is also known as the Southern Common Market. Its members, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, are required to adopt these resolutions into their national laws when approved.

SGS Food Contact Material Services
SGS’s technical experts have extensive experience of testing materials and articles in contact with food. They can ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials and pave the way for compliance. SGS offers the full range of testing, including migration tests, along with expert advice on emerging regulations, compliance issues and documentation review. Learn more about SGS’s Food Contact Material Services. [http://www.sgs.com/fcm]

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full Mercosur Proposes to Revise Requirements for Food Contact Plastics SafeGuardS. [www.sgs.com/en/news/2020/09/safeguards-13220-mercosur-proposes-to-revise-requirements-for-food-contact-plastics]

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For further information contact:
Hingwo Tsang
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel:(+852) 2774 7420

Alessandra Shimizu
Technical Manager
Tel: (+55) 11 3883-8880 Ext. 8785

Email: crs.media ( @ ) sgs dot com
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS
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