En 3 February 2026, el Comisión Europea published a regulation via EUR-Lex amending the list of authorised substances for plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. The regulation is enforced from 23 February 2026 and applies across the European Union. It affects manufacturers and importers placing plastic food contact materials on the EU market.
Detalles de la actualización
The regulation introduces new authorisations y revised conditions of use for several substances used in food contact plastics, including specific phosphorous acid derivatives, calcium tert-butylphosphonate, oxidised vegetable oil-based amines, and rice bran waxes. These changes are based on recent scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessing consumer safety.
Newly authorised substances may be used in materials such as polyolefin, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PLA (polylactic acid), rigid PVC (polyvinyl chloride), and polyamide films, subject to defined conditions. Certain uses are restricted for specific food categories, incluido infant formula, human milk, o fatty foods, depending on the substance involved.
The regulation also updates migration limits and testing requirements for some additives, specifying that water must be used as a simulant for particular specific migration tests. In addition, name changes y el removal of compliance notes affect existing entries related to oxidised amines derived from hydrogenated tallow alkyls.
The updated requirements apply to all stakeholders placing plastic food contact materials and articles on the EU market after the regulation’s effective date.
Fecha de entrada en vigor
The amended regulation enters into force on 23 February 2026, which is 20 days after its publication by the European Commission on 3 February 2026.
Por qué es importante
Esta actualización proporciona claridad regulatoria by aligning authorised substances and conditions of use with the latest EFSA safety assessments. It supports digital and scientific alignment across EU food contact material regulations, enhances efficiency in compliance verification, and introduces targeted requirements without imposing unnecessary additional burdens beyond updated testing and documentation expectations.
Para quién es relevante
The regulation is directly relevant for Asuntos regulatorios, Seguro de calidad, Product Development, Procurement, y Compliance teams, así como manufacturers and importers of plastic food contact materials using polyolefin, PET, PLA, rigid PVC, or polyamide films.
Próximos pasos
Stakeholders should review product formulations, authorised substance listings, and supply chains to identify impacted materials and additives. Regulatory Affairs teams should assess alignment with the updated conditions of use, while Quality Assurance teams should coordinate with suppliers to ensure migration testing protocols and technical documentation reflect the revised requirements before placing products on the EU market.
As regulatory requirements for food contact materials continue to evolve based on scientific assessments, staying ahead of authorised substance changes and conditions of use is critical. RegASK es una plataforma líder de inteligencia regulatoria y orquestación de flujos de trabajo con inteligencia artificial de agencia. that empowers global organizations in highly regulated sectors, including consumer products and life sciences, to proactively navigate complex regulatory landscapes. By combining advanced Agentic AI with experts in the loop, RegASK delivers timely predictive actionable insights and end-to-end automation, helping teams monitor EU food contact material updates, assess impact, and accelerate compliant market access across more than 160 countries. Más información o Reserve una demostración ahora.
Preguntas frecuentes
What did the European Commission change in the food contact plastics regulation?
The regulation amends the list of authorised substances for plastic food contact materials, introducing new authorisations, revising conditions of use, and updating migration limits and testing requirements.
When does the updated regulation take effect?
The regulation is enforced from 23 February 2026, 20 days after its publication on 3 February 2026.
Which plastic materials are affected by the new authorisations?
Materials affected include polyolefin, PET, PLA, rigid PVC, y polyamide films, subject to specific conditions and restrictions.
How can RegASK help companies manage this update?
RegASK helps organizations track EU regulatory changes, assess affected substances and materials, and streamline compliance workflows using AI-driven regulatory intelligence supported by expert oversight.
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