The Community Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Materials, based at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, was inaugurated on 7 December by Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potočnik.
Central to the lab's task will be to prevent dangerous substances, including toxic chemicals, from entering food. "Advanced analytical techniques are necessary to research and control the potential transfer for substances from the packaging itself to the food inside," the Commission explained.
It said that past examples have included the release of substances from materials used to coat food cans, which led to a change in legislation after levels were shown to be too high. Safety of raw materials or recycled materials will also come under closer scrutiny.
The lab will "serve as a point of reference for issues relating to the enforcement of legislation on food contact materials, through a network of National Reference Laboratories", the Commission stated.
Food-safety issues are high among consumers' worries, opinion polls show. BEUC, the European Consumer organisation, says that chemicals used in products such as non-stick pans and food packaging should be more strictly regulated. Earlier this year, a group of scientific advisers to the US Environmental Protection Agency recommended classifying PFOA, a substance used in non-stick cookware, as "a likely carcinogen".
At EU level, the REACH regulation on chemical safety is being voted in Parliament on 13 December. Environmental and consumer organisations have criticised the bill as too weak but industry has said that it will impose a heavy burden on companies to prove that the substances they use are safe (EurActiv 7/12/06).
