Apply for approval for recycling processes of plastics in contact with foodstuffs

Materials that come into contact with food are subject to European legislation. They must not, under good manufacturing practice and under normal conditions, transfer constituents to the food in quantities likely to

• endanger human health
• an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or
• impair the organoleptic properties of the food, such as taste or odor.

If you recycle plastics that have already been used in order to recycle the materials into food contact materials such as packaging, they could be contaminated with other substances. To prevent this, you must have your specific recycling process reviewed and approved in advance by the European Commission.

As a manufacturer of food contact materials, you are responsible for compliance with food law requirements. You must therefore ensure that such contact materials are harmless to health.

You can submit the application for approval of a recycling process for food contact plastics exclusively via the online portal E-Submission Food Chain Platform (ESFC).

The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) is the national point of contact in Germany. If you select the BVL as your point of contact, the BVL formally checks the application for completeness and relevance of the documents. The BVL then forwards it to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

EFSA prepares a scientific opinion on each application, which serves as the basis for the European Commission's authorization decision.

If your recycling process meets the legal and technical requirements, the process may be used. If there are conditions or restrictions attached to the authorization, companies must comply with them.

If you acquire new scientific or technical knowledge that may affect the evaluation of the safety of the substance in relation to human health, you must inform the Commission immediately.