MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 24 No. 10/23 www.petpla.net 10 Identifying Non-Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) in food contact materials Navigating the future of plastic food packaging Article by Marco Schaefer, Senior Marketing Manager Food & Beverage Packaging EMEA, Avient Corporation Plastic packaging is an integral part of our lives, providing convenience and protection for a wide range of products, including food and beverage. While some environmental concerns have prompted calls to reduce or reuse plastic, its presence in the market remains strong. In fact, reports suggest that plastic’s share in food packaging is expected to rise to 72% by 2024, signalling that plastic packaging is here to stay. Amidst this landscape, the need for sustainable and safe packaging is more vital than ever. Consumers are increasingly conscious of the plastic packaging materials used for their food products. As a result, manufacturers are seeing a growing demand from consumers for packaging that not only promises to protect the food’s integrity but is also environmentally conscious and devoid of potential health risks. Innovative companies are addressing these demands head-on; however, this objective comes with challenges and opportunities. One of the challenges lies in understanding the chemical composition of packaging materials, particularly those used for food. While databases worldwide contain information on thousands of food contact chemicals, there remain gaps in the knowledge about some substances and their potential migration into food. In response, Avient Corporation, a provider of specialised and sustainable material solutions and services, is taking proactive steps to address this challenge, beginning with identifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in food contact materials. Unearthing the hidden substances Occasionally, food packaging may contain NIAS - chemicals present in food contact materials (FCM) or food contact articles (FCA) but not intentionally added for any technical requirement during production. These NIAS could stem from interactions between materials in the packaging, food content, substances in food contact materials (such as additives), the degradation of materials, or impurities in the raw materials. These hidden substances may go undetected by standard migration testing used for specific food contact compliance. Understanding potential reaction mechanisms and then being able to perform NIAS analytical testing is a critical process for plastic packaging producers since they are responsible for the safety of the articles they produce. Diligent scrutiny of packaging safety involves sophisticated analytics during which the nature of specific chemical substances to be detected may be unknown, and the quantities that can potentially migrate into the product are often measured in parts per billion (ppb). Plastic producers, packaging manufacturers, and brand owners must adhere to stringent specifications to ensure consumer safety and product quality are not compromised. A vision for safer packaging As the European Union (EU) mandates an increase in rPET in plastic packaging to 25% by 2025, plastic processors and manufacturers face the challenge of complying with these new regulations while maintaining existing safety requirements. Currently, rPET can be sourced from many different suppliers in the market, and, depending on the sorting and reprocessing carried out during the recycling process, its quality can vary tremendously. Additionally, as the industry moves towards an ideal recycling design that involves material circulating an indefinite number of times, it is challenging to provide rPET material that is safe for use in food packaging. This requires a recycled material that is not solely virgin PET-based resin but also includes a mix of increasing amounts of polymer and additives contained therein, each having undergone multiple recycling and melt histories. Providing a quality rPET grade that meets health and safety requirements and passes a robust NIAS screening process will become increasingly important. Through this process, important information can be gained about the composition of a material, its impurities, and any resulting toxicological concerns, which can affect consumer safety and for which packaging manufacturers are responsible. Once a final article is manufactured, its composition will include both rPET and any functional additives used in the manufacturing process. One of the crucial aspects of NIAS screening will be the ability to quickly discern between any NIAS content generated by the rPET or generated by additives used in the manufacturing phase. Screening input material (such as rPET) before use to identify potential NIAS should become a routine safety check in the future. To address these challenges, Avient has expanded its analytical capabilities to identify and assess nonintentionally added substances (NIAS) that might be created while processing an additive with PET during the packaging manufacturing and any subsequent recycling process. Evaluation starts with manufacturing bottles containing virgin PET resin and the additive at the recommended
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