Food-Safe Packaging Compliance Checklist

Overview

Packaging that touches food must protect the product and the consumer. Regulations differ between markets, but the principles are consistent: use suitable materials, keep documentation, and be able to trace every component. This checklist summarises the points buyers and suppliers should confirm before a food packaging order ships.

Material Safety

Confirm that every layer, including board, film, coating, ink and adhesive, is intended for food contact. Direct contact materials must be food grade, and even indirect components should be assessed for the risk of migration. Recycled fibre can be used, but it needs a functional barrier if there is any chance of contamination from the recycled content.

Migration and Barriers

Migration is the transfer of substances from packaging into food. It depends on the material, the food type, the temperature and the contact time. Fatty and acidic foods are the most demanding. Where a barrier is required, a food-grade film or an approved coating can limit migration and extend shelf life. Ask the supplier for a declaration of compliance that names the substances and the conditions of use.

Documentation and Traceability

Keep a specification for the finished pack, certificates for each raw material, and batch records that link finished goods to the materials used. Documentation is what allows you to respond quickly if a question arises. It also supports audits and retailer onboarding, which increasingly ask for written food-contact evidence.

A Working Checklist

Define the food type, the storage temperature and the shelf life the pack must support. List every material layer and its intended contact status. Obtain a written declaration of compliance. Verify that printing and finishing are food-safe. Retain samples and batch records. Review the design with your supplier before production rather than after.

Summary

Food-safe packaging is a process, not a single material choice. Clear documentation and a simple checklist protect your brand, your customers and your retail relationships.

Key figures and tolerances

• Overall migration limit for plastics: 10 mg/dm² of food contact surface, plus specific migration limits per substance (Regulation (EU) No 10/2011).
• Framework requirement: materials must not transfer constituents that endanger health or change food composition (Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004).
• China: GB 4806.1-2016 general safety plus GB 4806.8-2016 for paper and board and GB 4806.7-2016 for plastics.
• United States: coatings on food contact surfaces follow FDA 21 CFR 175.300.
• Recycled fibre: food contact reclaimed fibre is restricted, so ask for the mill grade and the fibre claim (FSC-STD-40-004 V3-1).
• Sensory transfer: verify no off-odour or taint, assessed by panel methods (ISO 13302); printing inks on the non-food contact side follow EuPIA guidelines.
• Ranges are typical industry values for the material or process named and are not a specification; confirm the exact value, the current edition of each standard and the applicable grade with your supplier or test laboratory.