Tungsten Oxide Is Safe for FCM Plastics
A European Food Safety Agency (Efsa) science panel has concluded that the use of tungsten oxide as a reheat agent in PET plastic food contact material (FCM plastics) is safe for consumers. The question of safety was put to Efsa in 2014 by the Colormatrix Group through the UK competent authority, the Food Standards Authority. The agency asked its Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) Panel to review it. The panel's dossier included studies on the identity of the substance, its migration into food simulants and potential toxicity in line with the EU food contact materials regulations. Tungsten oxide is a mixture of oxides used as a reheat agent to increase the infrared heat absorption of plastics from heat lamps during blow-moulding processes. It has the advantage of having a minimal effect on the transparency of the packaging, when used at the proposed maximum use level of 75ppm. The detailed reasoning behind the CEF panel's app...