The Influence of the Chemical Composition of Food Packaging Materials on the Technological Suitability: A Matter of Food Safety and Hygiene

Abstract

Normally, the so-called Declaration of Food Contact Compliance is one of the most known and debated argumentations with reference to food packaging materials. This topic has been extensively discussed in the last years. However, another aspect remains to be shown and critically analysed: the ‘technological suitability’ for food applications. By the viewpoint of the European Legislator, this concept is the second requirement for the safe and legal use of food containers. On the other hand, the definition of technological suitability is not available in existing official norms or in most known food quality standards, while a specific statement has been recently made in the scientific literature. Secondly, technological suitability should be necessarily linked and influenced by different and known factors: the chemical composition of the food container or food contact material; the technological classification of the container; the chemical profile of the packaged food; the production and packaging process; and the problem of correct storage procedures for food packaging materials and packaged products. This work would show several practical applications with reference to the connection between the chemical composition of food packaging materials and the predictable behaviour of the container in ‘normal conditions’.