Before food is consumed, it contacts with many materials and articles during production, processing, storage, sales, preparation and service stages.
This materials and articles are called food contact materials and articles . These are as follows:
Materials produced to contact with food such as spoons and plates
Materials produced as a food packaging, such as a milk box
Materials produced probably to contact with food such as aluminum foil, jar.
Any material in contact with or likely to come into contact with food is considered within this scope.
An example from the food chain:
If we give the cheese as an example, which is one of the most consumed foodstuffs;
The storage tank used for carrying to the milk,
The container where the cheese is made,
The packaging machine,
The packaging material in which it is placed,
In the store, if it is sold unpackaged, the container in which it is exhibited,
A stretch film wrapped on a cheese or a plastic box put into it,
When consumer brings it to home, the container the consumer put,
The knife cutting the cheese,
Breakfast plate, cutlery, etc.
All of these materials contact with food and can interact in any way until it is consumed.
However, promotional items (such as free product or game cards that come out of the chips) that come out of the food are also considered within this scope.
These materials are composed of many different substances.
What is the relationship with food safety?
The main area of researchers in this is to determine how food interacts with each contact food material. And which are the consequences of this contact
at least in terms of food safety. This is why the definition of food contact substances and materials is very broad.
For this reason it should be taken into consideration that food may interact with the food contact material used
in catering operations, homes and production places such as pots, pans, plates, cutlery, and service equipment.
What should we pay attention to?
Careful selection of food-contact materials, such as cans, can lids, gaskets, and also baking papers, pans, pots, etc.
which are subject to heat during cooking, is very important. Especially in household products such as canned foods,
tomato paste, pickles. Attention should be paid to the fact that they are made from the appropriate material for the
For this reason, we must absolutely ask whether the products we consume in our house will fit into the materials, we choose for their preservation.
If food contact material is not suitable for food, it may result in food safety risks, although we produce it by ourselves. For this reason, we
know that any food cannot be stored in any container and we have to proceed accordingly. Otherwise, foods we produce carefully for us may cause
a risk for our health. The same problem can be encountered in the products such as pickles, brined vine leaf and olive oil, which are offered for
sale in plastic bottles as home/village made. These foods become risky since some substances are migrated into food from plastic.
What are the food contact substances and materials made from?
Food contact materials are made from many different components. The best known are plastic, ceramic, glass, metal, silicone,
textile, paper, wood. In addition to these, the regenerated cellulose films seen on the outer covers of meat products and waxes
that cover the surface of citrus fruits or some cheeses are food contact materials although their usage area limited.
For all these types of materials, general and material specific rules have been established and appropriate production and use is required. Thus, unwanted substances
that may pass from food contact materials to food will remain within the limits of food safety.
Also, for the purpose of use, selection of materials and articles suitable for food, helps to control the factors accelerating the transmitance of
undesirable substances to food so it will contribute to the safe access to food.
The use of recycled materials in paper and plastic materials which are produced for contact with food is prohibited.
The reason is that recycling materials are carrying risk because of their production type and the increase on undesirable substances in the material and
the change of chemical structures. The only exception in this regard is on fruit-vegetable and egg viols. Recycling material may be used.
What is the Importance of Food Contact Material and Articles?
If the food is not suitable, it may interact with the contact surface, which time to time creates a risk for consumers.
When the materials that come into contact with the food are wrongly chosen, there is a possibility of adversely affecting both,
the health of the consumer and the quality of the food.
For this reason, Materials and articles which are used in the production of such materials and in food production,
regulated with some rules, and some controls and analyzes are done under the framework of these rules. These materials
have production conditions that must be followed just like foodstuffs. It is the responsibility of the producers of food
contact materials and it should be produced according to the rules, and all food producers are also responsible for choosing the
appropriate packaging material for the food they produce.
For this reason, finding the approval or registration number of food items on the market means that not only food, but also selected packaging material is safe.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock is responsible for official control of the rules.
How should consumers choose food contact materials?
If the material is offered to the market for use in food, it must comply with the labeling rules set out in the regulations. For this reason,
consumers should first examine the labeling information. The following information is the mandatory labeling information for products sold as food packaging:
The name or trade name and address of the manufacturer, importer, operator or seller responsible for the supply to the market
The manufacturer's company registration number (CRN)
Special instructions may be available when additional information is required on the safe use of the material, for example when it is not to be used
during cooking, as it is disposable.
This information may be written on the product, or on the package or attach on top of it.
There is no obligation to find the label information on the label of the
foods that are offered for sale with the packaging. All responsibility of the packaging used is in the food producer.
Symbol indicating food suitability
A mark that we will note in a material that will come into contact with food is a glass fork symbol that indicates the suitability of such materials
for food or specific expressions for the suitability of the material and / or articles such as "foodstuff suitable", "soup spoon", "wine bottle" or
"coffee machine". It is not necessary that this symbol or the above statements be included if the material is clearly intended for use in food such as pots, cutlery, salting.
Especially if the material is also used other than food, this symbol or phrase helps us to understand whether it is produced for food use or not.
What are the points to consider?
When we buy such materials for use in the kitchen or at home for the preservation of a food we produce; if we show the same attention to choose our food and choose the appropriate use,
our foods prepared at home will really come safely to our tables.
In usage of kitchen utensils, safety of materials and contact with proper foodstuff are important It is also very important to clean
them with the right methods. For this purpose, it is necessary to follow the washing instructions on the use of cleaning materials provided for kitchen use,
dishwashers and all kinds of kitchenware. The instructions for use are not only important for the protection of the quality of kitchenware, but also for ensuring food safety.
As wood or plastic chopping surfaces are scratched, the microbial loads and chemicals they contain will increase. It will be appropriate to change these materials
at reasonable frequencies. Wood materials should avoid contact with watery and oily food.
What is the Meaning of Migration of Food Contact Materials and Substances?
Some of the substances that come in contact with foodstuff interact with food. As a result of evaluating these interactions and the possible risks to
human health, contact of food contact materials with foodstuffs is allowed or not allowed. One of these interactions is "MIGRATION", an important concept
that we can hear about from time to time.
Migration is a term used especially for plastic packaging materials. It refers to the transition of food contact materials to foodstuffs
under various conditions of use. Many monomers, additives and colorants are used in the production of plastic materials. During the production and later
on, a sample of foodstuff similar to the kind of food for the purpose of use in the market and that will come in contact with packaging materials, is
kept and then analyzed by official laboratories to determine the migration rate to food in these foodstuffs.
Symbol indicating food suitability
Safe limits are determined by legislation in terms of human health, so migratory substances may be found in food. Plastic materials should be
produced according to these rules. Since the production of plastic materials is made for the purpose of use, it should be used appropriately in order
to achieve this purpose. If you put oil or vinegar in a plastic bottle that is used for water or a similar food item, you may cause some undesirable
chemicals to pass from the plastic to the oil or vinegar as the plastic bottle is not selected and produced for this type of food.
The fact that a plastic material is suitable for a particular food group does not mean that this plastic is suitable for all foods.
It is also possible that food contact materials and articles other than plastic interact with the food, and that some undesired substances
may pass through the food in more or less or arise as a result of the interaction. Therefore, legal limits have been set for such items where
risk is assumed. These limits are applied while producing such materials and taking into consideration the purpose of use in market controls.
The use of the same packaging material multiple times, when it is plastic, causes unacceptable increase in some migratory materials.
Therefore, usage of plastic materials are prohibited in the food industry more than once, excluding water carboys. For this reason, frequent
use of empty packaging materials, which is a mistake that consumers often make, is an important risk to health in many ways.
Factors Affecting Migration
There are many factors affect the migration of materials and articles from the contacted material to the food such as:
The type of material,
The type and structure of food.
These factors are crucial for food safety. We should be careful when choosing food contact material
to avoid the migration of undesirable substances to food, as well as those factors that increase migrations during use
and storage. For this reason we must be conscious while buying, carrying, storing, and consuming packaged food.
What should we do to keep migration under control?
Do not contact empty plastic materials with the food again.
Be careful to use the contact material in accordance with the intended use. For example:
Do not use baking paper in the freezer
Let's not put a food with sauce in a zinc or aluminum container.
Let's not buy the food that is saved in this way and sold to the market.
Do not put oil, pickle or, brined vine leaf in plastic water bottles and prefer not to buy them
Let's not save eggs in wet viols.
Let's not leave the water carboys under the sun, let's not buy what's under the sun, and warn those who sell it. Only for water carboys,
more than one use is possible. But let's not forget that the number of usage is restricted by the Ministry of Health.
What is BPA?
BPA is a chemical substance that is always on the agenda, especially in plastics.
This chemical has specified limits in the legislation and productions have to be done within this scope. These
limits are set in light of various scientific studies and limits are set below the values that will not adversely
affect human health. The use of BPA in infant material is not allowed (e.g. baby bottles)
What are the mistakes about food contact materials and the risks they originate?
While a material produced to contact food is safe when used, in accordance with the conditions set forth in the law, it can originate a risk
of food safety in an improper use if these conditions are not met. Let us examine each of these faults individually.
Reuse of packaging
The habit of putting food into any kind of used packaging material is a very negative act for food safety.
Sometimes detergent bottles or containers of different chemicals are used to store food, assuming they are washed.
In such a case, a substance may pass into the food by interacting with the chemical substance it has absorbed.
Dishes and materials (newsprint, empty detergent or drug bottles, etc.)
or food packaging that are not manufactured to contact with foods or foodstuffs that are subsequently used for various purposes
(including preparation of agricultural products, soil handling etc.) should never be used to contact with foodstuffs.
Kitchen materials, although they seem very innocent, should not be used to transport or store any substance other than
food. The same applies when food packaging material is not made from a material suitable for that food. If the package
is not suitable for food, some of the chemicals in the material may be transferred or interacted with the food. For example,
an ice cream container is made according to special conditions for freezing and can be used in those conditions. However,
if you pour hot soup into the ice cream bowl, you can accelerate the migration of undesirable substance from the container to the soup.
Use of cracked, scratched material
Materials that went cracked or broken during use may cause the environment to develop microorganisms, to cause cross
contamination, and to increase the risk of some chemicals going to food from the materials.
Food contact printed materials such as newspapers, magazines, etc.
One of the most common mistakes made in kitchens is the use of printed publications to contact with food
(such as wrapping vegetables and picking vegetables). Printed materials such as newspapers, magazines,
brochures should not be contact with foodstuffs because they contain unacceptable levels of formaldehyde,
lead, etc. These chemicals are not only exposed to food, but also to other food contact materials such as
kitchen countertops, tables and knives. This creates significant health risks. For this reason, these important
points should be taken into consideration in kitchen applications.
What are the materials that need to be used with caution?
Melamin is used in some packaging materials as well as
in kitchen utensils. When these materials come into contact with food a certain amount of melamine transmit to the
foodstuff. For this reason, the conditions of use of materials made from melamine are important. As with all food contact
materials, such conditions must be placed on the label and followed the instructions carefully.
Zinc coated storage containers should not contain acidic foods or alcoholic products.
Aluminum containers and aluminum foil should not be used
with acidic and salty food unless they are coated with a material such as tin chrome, lacquer. Also, such containers and foils should
not be used for cooking and freezing operations. Just only used for refrigeration storage. There should be warnings on the foil label.
Why should we pay attention to?
Particularly Melamine, zinc, aluminum, plastics are not good for acidic food because they are more easily reacted to acidic foods
(tomato paste, tomato juice, vinegar, pickle, yoghurt, lemon, etc.),
which are generally characteristic of sour taste, It should also be taken care of the material used
in acidic foods, even though it is not clear obviously with its taste, like jam.
It may be an undesirable chemical released from wetted paper to packaging materials. For that reason,
this type of packaging should not be dehumidified. Wet packaging materials should not be used.
Questions to Ask About Food Contact Material
There are two important questions we need to ask ourselves when buying the kitchen utensils we will use. First, is it safe? Secondly,
are the conditions of use specified and is my intended use appropriate?
The document submitted to fulfill the first condition, to acknowledge that the material to be in contact with the food is safe, is to have the business registration
number from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.
This number shows us that the business is a registered and controlled business.
The list of these businesses is published in the Ministry web site. Click for reach list.
Is it safe? Is it labeled appropriately? Is it suitable for use?
Response of the second question will be found on the product label information or the accompanying
What are the symbols used in food contact materials and articles?
Recycled materials cannot be used in food packaging except egg and fruit viols. Which plastic materials are preferred depend on
the type of food. Materials to be used in the production of plastics that come into contact with food should comply with the Turkish
Food Codex Communiqué on Food Contact Plastics Materials.
The materials used as food packaging are the responsibility of the food producer and the food producer must use appropriate food grade materials.
There are materials that are used only for the production or presentation of food, such as pots, plates, etc.,
in which there is no other use besides for food. For this reason, it is not compulsory for these materials to
carry the symbol or the phrase "material is suitable to contact with food". However, if the food contact material
and article is a product that can be used for food and non-food purposes, for example a jar; then “a glass-fork sign”
is used on the material. Thus, this symbol helps us to understand if this material has another use rather than food,
at the same time the material is suitable for food.
Other Packing Signs
There are some signs on the material that will enable recognition of the raw material of the packaging material.
However, these signs do not give information on whether the packaging is suitable for food.
The markings for the recycling and contents of packaging materials are as follows.
"Green Point" on the packaging indicates that the responsibility for the recovery of this packaging belongs to the
organization of the Green Point Organization in that country. This mark belongs to "Packaging Recovery Organization
Europa" which means "The European Packaging Recycling Organization" is used in more than 30 countries in Europe. The
Green Point Group is a member of ÇEVKO Foundation in Turkey. The "Green Point" mark can be used in various colors and sizes.
This is the logo showing that a firm assigns its obligations about packaging residuals to ÇEVKO Foundation who is one of our Accredited Institutions.
This is the logo showing that a firm assigns its obligations about packaging residuals to TUKCEV who is one of our Accredited Institutions
It indicates that the package is recyclable.
The code number of the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry can be used in the way that the code number is marked with the area code.
It indicates that the product is obtained from recycled material.
Code 1 indicates that it is made of polyethylene terephthalate material.
Code 2 indicates that it is made of high density polyethylene material.
Code 3 indicates that it is made of Polyvinyl Chloride material.
Code 4 indicates that it is made of low density polyethylene material.
Code 5 indicates that it is made of polypropylene material.
Code 6 indicates that it is made of polystyrene material.
The code 7 indicates that it is made of a different type of plastic material from the mentioned above.
Code numbers from 20 to 39 indicate that they are manufactured from paper / cardboard materials.
Recycling code numbers from 40 to 49 indicate that they are manufactured from a metallic material.
Recycling code numbers from 70 to 79 indicate that they are made of glass material.