Conclusions
The European Commission’s programme of work to harmonize the laws and regulations on food contact materials and articles is expected to produce a specific Directive on ‘polymeric coatings’ within the next few years. The ‘regulations’ in this ‘coatings’ Directive will cover food and beverage cans with internal lacquer coatings.
The ‘coatings’ Directive will probably follow the same format as that of the ‘plastics’ Directive 90/128/EEC, with permitted lists of substances, some with restrictions mainly in the form of specific migration limits, and an overall migration limit.
Experience in performing migration tests on plastics for compliance with the limits and restrictions in Directive 90/128/EEC has identified various problems and difficulties. Similar problems and difficulties have been found to occur when migration testing lacquer coated food and beverage cans, and their are some additional problems. Project work investigating these problems and difficulties have resulted in changes to the migration test procedures and protocols, which should ensure that in future migration testing on food and beverage cans reliable and valid test results are obtained.
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References
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Tice, P. The implications of future EC food contact legislation for lacquer coated food and beverage cans. Surface Coatings International 81, 495–499 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02700193
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02700193