France – Ceramic Food Contact Articles Recently Recalled for Aluminium, Cobalt and Arsenic Content

Vol. 861 | 16 Oct 2015

In France, there are no specific regulatory texts governing migration of the elements in ceramic food contact articles other than lead and cadmium, which are currently regulated by the French arrété of 7 November 1985 (transposed from the EU Directive 84/500/EEC) on the limitation of extractable quantities of lead and cadmium.

However, recently in France there have been product recalls of ceramic food contact articles due to migration of such elements in accordance with Article 3 of the Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, which states that the food contact materials and articles shall be manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practice so that they do not endanger human health, bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics thereof.

Below are the related safety thresholds for aluminium, cobalt and arsenic that apply to ceramic food contact articles, including articles made of glass or slate, carried out by the General Directorate of Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF):

Chemical Element	Reference migration value (in mg/kg of food simulant)	Test Conditions
Aluminium	0.9	Simulant: 4% acetic acid   Test conditions: 22°C for 24 hours, 3 successive migrations and take the 3rd migration results
Cobalt	0.02
Arsenic	Not detectable

 

For more information, please contact:

Valerie Lozingo
valerie.lozingo@intertek.com
+ 33 2 32 63 71 29