On 01.06.2024, the three-year European research project „Metrology for Food Safety in the Circular Economy: Targeting and Screening Methods for Contaminants in Food and Recycled Packaging“, in short „ScreenFood“, in which we are involved as a partner, was launched.
Challenge in food safety
In order to guarantee a high level of food safety throughout the entire production and distribution process, it is crucial to improve and harmonize the analytical methods for quantifying contaminants. Special attention is paid to recycled materials, as more packaging with higher recyclate content is expected on the market in the future, particularly with the new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) adopted as part of the Green Deal.
Development of reference methods and materials
Within the scope of the project, reference methods and reference materials will be developed for the quantification of contaminants in food and food packaging, with special consideration given to secondary materials. The project focuses on the harmful mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH (Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons) and MOAH (Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons)) as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS (Per- and PolyfluoroAlkyl Substances)). Reference methods and materials are to be developed for these chemicals, among others, in order to be able to detect contamination in food and food packaging. These metrological instruments will help the industry to deliver safe food and sustainable packaging while meeting regulatory requirements.
Project Consortium and International Collaboration
The project consortium consists of national metrology institutes, research institutions, and industrial companies from EU and non-EU countries. ScreenFood is coordinated by INRiM – Instituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica. Our task is to establish a stakeholder platform to ensure that the findings from the project are actually used and applied in the industry to promote the circularity of packaging.
Are you interested in contributing to the project as a stakeholder? Please contact Melanie Haupt (melanie.haupt@realcycle.ch, +41 44 537 82 80).