Recently, the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reported 15 cases of food-contact materials failing sampling inspections. Of these, 9 originated from China, 1 each from Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands, and 3 from unknown sources. The main reasons for non-compliance in this batch of notifications were: excessive migration of heavy metals — 10 cases; excessive migration of aromatic amines — 3 cases; missing compliance documentation — 2 cases; and insufficient product testing — 1 case.

* See Table 1 for an overview of product recalls.

Table 1 — Overview of EU food-related product warning notifications

(Severity key: Serious / Potential hazard / Potential risk / Not serious — color-coded by severity.)

Risk Assessment

Excessive migration of heavy metals in food-contact materials.

All heavy metals are cumulative and chronically toxic. Even when a single migration value is not high, repeated long-term exposure causes the risk to accumulate continuously. Once heavy metals enter the human body they are not easily excreted and accumulate, causing long-term, chronic harm that may weaken immune function and increase the risk of infection and disease. The migration of metal-type food-contact materials must therefore be strictly controlled within regulatory limits. In glass products the main heavy metals found to exceed limits are lead and cadmium, and in aluminum products the element that tends to exceed limits is aluminum.

Lead: mainly damages the nervous system, the hematopoietic system, and the kidneys; can cause anemia, memory decline, and delayed intellectual development in children; long-term exposure may increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Cadmium: mainly accumulates in the kidneys and bones, causing renal tubular damage, osteoporosis, and "Itai-itai disease"; long-term exposure is carcinogenic (especially lung and prostate cancer).

Arsenic: a confirmed carcinogen; can damage the skin, liver, and peripheral nerves, causing pigmentation and hyperkeratosis; long-term intake increases the risk of skin, bladder, and lung cancer.

Aluminum: affects bone metabolism and the nervous system, and may be associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s; excessive intake can also cause osteomalacia and anemia.

Cobalt: excessive intake can impair myocardial function, triggering thyroid hyperplasia and congestive heart failure; long-term exposure may disrupt the endocrine system.

Excessive migration of aromatic amines

Aromatic amines can migrate from materials such as plastics, rubber, and silicone, and from food-contact articles bearing inks or adhesives, and can enter the human body via food. Excessive intake may damage organs such as the liver and kidneys and cause acute or chronic poisoning; long-term contact may increase the risk of cancer.

CIRS Testing Recommendations

Facing increasingly stringent product sampling both at home and abroad, CIRS Testing recommends that relevant manufacturers and exporters strictly control material quality, strengthen testing, and pay particular attention to product compliance — ensuring product quality so that products can enter the market smoothly and avoiding post-market risks.

Related Services Offered by CIRS Testing

CIRS Testing provides food-contact material safety testing services for China, the EU, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other countries and regions, including: kitchenware compliance verification; physical and chemical performance testing of kitchenware; kitchenware label review; and additive compliance consulting and recommendations. We develop test plans tailored to the specific conditions of each product, helping food-contact material exporters solve problems, improve product compliance in overseas markets, and reduce the risk of market recalls and penalties.

For food contact material testing or compliance support, please contact CIRS Testing at test@cirs-group.com, or scan the QR code to add us on WhatsApp.