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MIGRATION TESTING
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
A LITTLE THEORY ON MIGRATION TESTING
Migration tests are used to check the inertia of packaging suitable for food contact by analysing the possible transfer of components from the material to food. These migration tests are carried out using 3 food simulants (acetic acid, ethanol and vegetable oil), to cover all food groups, and the time and temperature contact conditions are set out according to the real conditions of use.
There are two types of test:
- Overall migration tests measure the amount of a substance that migrates from the material to a liquid that simulates a food’s extractive capacity (e.g., 2 hrs at 100 °C in ethanol).
- Specific migration testing quantifies the transfer of certain molecules from food contact materials into food under particular conditions of use (e.g., testing phthalates for 10 days at 60°C in acetic acid).
Testing is essential because using food-grade plastic and food-grade dyes is not enough to comply with the legislation, the end product must be too!
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE TO HELP UNDERSTANDING
Exemple de test de migration globale pour les bacs HACCP GILAC G119511, G119611, G119711, G119811, G119911 : migration en simulant acide acétique 3 % à 40° C pendant 10 jours, migration en simulant huile végétale à 40° C pendant 10 jours, migration en simulant éthanol 10 % à 40° C pendant 1à jours (selon le règlement européen EUR 1935/2004, EUR 2003/2006 et EUR 10/2011)
| Simulant | Temps en jours | Température °C | Volume du simulant en ml | Limite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 10 | 40 | 100 | 10 mg/dm3 |
| A | 10 | 40 | 100 | 10 mg/dm3 |
| D2 | 10 | 40 | 100 | 10 mg/dm3 |
Exemple de test de migration spécifique pour les bacs HACCP GILAC G119511, G119611, G119711, G119811, G119911 sur 3 exemples : migration avec le simulant B, contacts répétés de 10 jours à 40° C, surface de contact 1 dm3 et un volume de simulant de 100 ml
| Eléments | Limites | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Phtalates DBP/BBP/DEHP/DINP+DIDP/DAP | 03/30/1,5/9/ND | Conforme |
| Mercure | 0,01 | Conforme |
| Nickel | 0,02 | Conforme |
THE REGULATIONS ARE CHANGING,
WE MONITOR THEM FOR YOU!
An important change in the regulation (Regulation (EU) 2020/1245 of 2 September 2020) on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foods came into force on 23 March 2021. This change requires all migration tests to be updated by 23 September 2022 at the latest. GILAC has already taken this development into account and has started updating its tests in accordance with these new requirements.
To ensure that you can safely work with our containers, an independent EU-approved French laboratory carries out these global and specific migration tests for us. For each product concerned, we will provide the details of migration testing to inspection bodies that request it. You can sleep tight at night ! (Read the legal text (UE) 2020/1245)