How do we guarantee food-safe packaging?

How can you be sure that packaging is food-safe? At Smart Packaging Solutions, food safety underpins every aspect of our work. That’s why we recently had the paper and cardboard we use in our packaging re-tested by an independent laboratory. The result: our packaging complies with the strictest limits and is proven safe for food packaging.

At Smart Packaging Solutions, food safety is our priority. “And with good reason, given that 95% of our packaging is used to package food products,” says Karel Van den Abbeele, BRCGS Manager.

Whether food items come into direct contact with cardboard or via an inner packaging liner, customers need to be able to trust that their products are packaged safely. For paper and cardboard, there’s still very little specific legislation, but clear guarantees are a must. “We have to be able to prove that no harmful substances migrate from the cardboard into the food,” explains Karel.

Sustainability is one of our core values, with 93% of our packaging, on average, being manufactured from recycled material. “It’s good for the environment, but also means we need to be extra careful because recycled material can contain all kinds of substances. Through testing, we prove that these don’t migrate into food or stay within safe limits. This way, we’re able to combine sustainability with food safety.”

To provide assurance, our tests comply with internationally recognised guidelines:

• The German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) guideline (BFR XXXVI)
• The Dutch Packaging and Materials (Commodities Act) Decree

“Although the BFR XXXVI has no legal status, it’s recognised as the industry benchmark, while the Dutch Packaging and Materials Decree is binding legislation,” explains Karel. “The BfR guideline offers science-based recommendations and is updated annually. The guidelines contain lists of substances and clear limits. If you can demonstrate that your material falls within these migration limits, it’s considered safe for food contact.”

For the migration tests, we analyse various types of paper and cardboard. We bring cardboard into contact with a test medium – a simulant that mimics food. We then determine if substances migrate and in what quantities. Since we work with a specific set of raw materials, we don’t need to test each type of packaging separately. We can cover almost all our products by testing our basic raw materials. We also do research into so-called ‘worst-case’ scenarios. “The lab also tests thin cardboard that has a completely print covered surface,” explains Karel. “If that’s safe, then the rest is fine too.”

For 17 years, Smart Packaging Solutions has partnered with an independent ISO 17025-certified laboratory to carry out migration testing. Once again, the latest tests confirm that everything is safe. “All the results were within the specific migration limit,” says Karel.

Our packaging is guaranteed food-safe thanks to extensive testing, clear guidelines, and a strong focus on quality and sustainability. “Our customers need to feel confident that their product is safely packaged,” says Karel. “Which is why we do it, and these test results are clear proof of that, once again.”