FDA Food Contact Substances Testing | Packaging, Containers Tests

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US FDA’s CFSAN regulates Food Contact Surface Testing

With product safety being so important and major recalls frequently making news headlines, food contact substances testing is important for the health and safety for human consumption.In the USA, food contact surface testing  is regulated by and required by the USFDA.  USFDA regulates the safety of substances added to food including  how food is processed, packaged, and labeled.  In 1997, the FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA), amended the  FD&C Act  and  established a notification process for food-contact substances.

The amended FD&C Act (United States, 1998a) defines a food-contact substance as “any substance intended for use as a component of materials used in manufacturing, packing, packaging, transporting, or holding food if such use is not intended to have a technical effect in such food.

While most of us readily identify food contact surfaces with packaging such as the  plastic wraps, foils and styrofoam used to package food, the products used for cooking, dining and storage of food products such as aluminum saucepans, wood chopping boards, unbreakable cartoon plastic children’s plates, stainless-steel serving spoons and crystal champagne flutes are also regulated.

The FDA contains requirements which may include  toxicology, chemistry, physical and microbiology testing of packaging and contact substances. It even has a specific guidance for recycled packaging requirements. Because of all the requests and questions that we have received from  manufacturers and importers  seeking laboratories for food contact surface testing, we have included a list of the links to the guidance documents below.

The most recent request that we have received is for:

  • East Coast USA Laboratory needed for FDA Food Contact Surface Testing to FDA 21CFR 177.2600 Repeated food contact extractable testing….more information http://www.contractlaboratory.com/labclass/outsource_requests2.cfm?testrequest_id=49019.

If your manufacturer or importer of  food storage, packaging  or handling products needs to test their products, please

SUBMIT FOOD CONTACT SUBSTANCES REQUEST >>https://www.contractlaboratory.com/labclass/outsource_entryform.cfm

  Helpful Links to the FDA website are

Notification for the Use of a Formulation

FDA Form No. 3479: (PDF – 505KB)