This document has been initially developed as guidance for a future paper & board regulation based on the belief, within  the  industry  that  produces  paper  and  board  materials  and  articles  for  food  contact,  that  there  is  a need for EU legislation which specifically covers its products. The continued absence of such legislation is having a progressive, negative impact on the business. The  industry  has  concluded  that  the  best  method  of  achieving this aim would be for the European Commission to develop a specific measure for paper and board as envisaged within Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, hereafter referred to as the Framework Regulation.

This document is aimed at all those with an interest in ensuring the safety of paper and board intended for food contact, because:

• manufacturers and suppliers along the paper and board supply chain require a harmonised approach, explanations of the legislative requirements of the Framework  Regulation  and  the  various  ways  in  which compliance with it can be achieved in order to support the demand of the market and customers for product safety;
• national  authorities  require  background  material  against  which  to  base  their  inspection  regimes  and  their  interpretation  of  the  necessary  legal  requirements  covering  manufacturing,  documentation, quality management, etc.;
• business operators in the food supply chain need guidance on the special properties of paper and board intended for food contact so that relevant products, appropriate to final use, can be chosen;
• consumers need assurance that appropriate food contact  safety  rules  are  in  place  and  adherence  to  them  is  a  transparent  process  that  can  be  independently assessed.Whilst  this  Guideline  provides  a  methodology  for  the  demonstration of the suitability of materials and articles for a variety of food contact applications, in itself it has no legal force. Its use is voluntary and it should be noted that other compliance mechanisms exist which may be used separately or in conjunction with it.

Food Contact Guidelines for the Compliance of Paper & Board Materials and Articles, April 2019

Watch the CEPI explanatory video