Europe calls for self-regulation in the paper industry

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and the International Confederation of paper and board Converters in Europe (CITPA) have launched the voluntary ‘Industry Guideline for the Compliance of Paper& Board Materials and Articles for Food Contact’.

The Guideline, which has been independently peer reviewed by PIRA International, offers route to compliance with European Commission (EC) Framework regulation 1935/2004, which covers all materials and articles which come in contact with food.

It gives guidance to paper and board producers as well as institutions and public authorities in how to ensure that paper and board meets the quality standards appropriate to its intended use in food contact.

This means it will not endanger human health by causing an unacceptable change in the food’s composition or deterioration in the way the food tastes, looks, feels and smells.

Many of the materials which come into direct contact with food, such as cellulose film, plastics and ceramics, are subject to material-specific measures which apply uniformly throughout the European Union (EU).

For paper, on the other hand, the picture is fragmented, with countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy, having national legislation, while other

countries simply conform to the more general, non-material specific regulation 1935/2004.

CEPI will also publish a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for the industry, which describes a management system for those rules to be obeyed.

GMP is not an optional bolton to the Guideline, but is required by Regulation 2023/2006, a general GMP requirement recently published by the European Commission.