EFSA approval for EREMA’s PET recycling technology
EREMA has received positive opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its VACUREMA and VACUNITE PET recycling technologies under the EU’s stricter Regulation (EU) 1616/2022, the company announced. The approvals confirm that the systems meet the latest food-contact requirements for recycled PET.
With regulation 1616/2022, the European Commission introduces more stringent requirements for decontamination efficiency and process validation. While previous approvals under regulation 282/2008 remain valid, this sets higher expectations for recycled PET used in food packaging. Food-grade rPET is particularly relevant in light of the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will require 30% recycled content in contact-sensitive PET packaging by 2030.
“The updated requirements set stricter standards for the quality of recycled PET and require comprehensive validation to demonstrate compliance. Therefore, it was clear to us that we wanted our PET recycling technologies to be validated under the 1616/2022 regulation, even though confirmation under the 282/2008 regulation remains valid”, says Laura Probst, Process Engineer for Food Safety at EREMA. Recently conducted challenge tests have confirmed the good decontamination performance of EREMA’s VACUREMA systems and unveiled the optimisation of certain process parameters.
Four positive opinions under 1616/2022 for VACUREMA technology
EREMA has transferred and expanded its technologies validated under regulation 282/2008 to the stricter regulation 1616/2022.
These EREMA technologies have received positive opinions by EFSA based on regulation 1616/2022 for PET recycling:
- VACUREMA Basic – with dedicated opinions for bottle and sheet applications.
- VACUREMA Advanced – featuring a second reactor with crystallisation dryer for additional IV build-up.
- VACUNITE – combining VACUREMA technology with vacuum-assisted Solid State Polycondensation (SSP) under nitrogen for top IV stability and colour values.
Thanks to SafeFlake vacuum pretreatment and EcoGentle plasticising technology, these systems are claimed to deliver consistent output quality. The result is reliable decontamination, stable intrinsic viscosity (IV), and minimal thermal stress – key factors for food-grade compliance.
The new opinions confirm that EREMA technology complies with the latest standards. Furthermore, the separation of bottle and sheet applications in specific opinions makes things easier for customers. “This distinction provides clarity and reduces complexity for companies involved in the production of PET sheet”, explains Probst.
Confirming compliance under real-world conditions
To secure the confirmation, EREMA carried out extensive challenge tests in collaboration with an independent institute. These tests simulate worst-case contamination scenarios by deliberately contaminating PET flakes with a defined cocktail of chemicals. The material is then processed on the VACUREMA or VACUNITE systems, and samples of input material, melt, and granulate are analysed to calculate decontamination performance.
“Planning these tests is a complex task,” explains Laura Probst. “We define contamination levels, sampling points, and process parameters to reflect real-world production. Every detail matters because EFSA requires full traceability and proof of decontamination efficiency. Our priority was to demonstrate compliance under realistic production conditions, so customers can be confident that the process meets the strictest food-contact standards,” adds Laura.
All opinions were submitted by EREMA. This approach ensures that the technology itself is validated and can now be licensed by customers globally. As a result, customers operating approved VACUREMA or VACUNITE systems can produce food-safe rPET without additional validation steps. With regulation 1616/2022 compliance secured, customers are fully prepared for the upcoming PPWR targets, including 30% recycled content in contact-sensitive PET packaging by 2030, says EREMA.