Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today announced the conclusion of a three-year project looking at the risk of chemicals migrating from packaging into food and has determined that the chemicals investigated are not a concern for human health.
FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Mark Booth said that after a thorough risk assessment, FSANZ concluded the risk to public health and safety resulting from the chemicals migrating from packaging to food was low.
“This assessment process has involved considerable work and two rounds of public consultation,” Mr Booth said.
“It also involved establishing an advisory group with industry and consumer representatives, testing of foods for the presence of packaging chemicals and dietary exposure assessments,” Mr Booth said.
“Based on its assessment, FSANZ has not recommended any further regulatory measures be introduced to the Food Standards Code.
“However, FSANZ continues to monitor the science in this area and is developing guidance, particularly for small and medium size businesses, to help them ensure packaging is safe.”