Food comes into contact with many materials and articles during its production, processing, storage, preparation and serving, before its eventual consumption. Such materials and articles include food packaging and containers, machinery to process food, and kitchenware and tableware.

These materials are called Food Contact Materials (FCMs).

Constituents of food contact materials that transfer from these materials into the food may affect the chemical safety of the food and affect human health, as well as the quality of the food, its taste and smell, and its appearance.

The principles set out in Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 require that materials do not:

• Release their constituents into food at levels harmful to human health
• Change food composition, taste and odour in an unacceptable way

Moreover, the framework provides:

• for special rules on active and intelligent materials (they are by their design not inert)
• powers to enact additional EU measures for specific materials (e.g. for plastics)
• the procedure to perform safety assessments of substances used to manufacture FCMs involving the European Food Safety Authority
• rules on labelling including an indication for use (e.g. as a coffee machine, a wine bottle, or a soup spoon) or by reproducing the appropriate symbol. For more information, please refer to the following document on Symbols for labelling food contact materials.
• for compliance documentation and traceability

There are also specific rules on some starting substances used to produce FCMs.

• Plastic Materials
• Active and Intelligent Materials
• Recycled Plastic Materials
• Ceramics
• Regenerated Cellulose Film

Further information:

• General information and contacts

• Revision of EU Rules

• Consultation process

• FCM Document Library

• Multi-language versions of brochures and guidance

• Plastic Recycling

• Legislation

• Authorisations

Related regulations:

• Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

• Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 on good manufacturing practice for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

• Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

• Regulation (EC) No 450/2009 on active and intelligent materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

• Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 on recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foods.

• Council Directive 84/500/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to ceramic articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs.

• Commission Directive 2007/42/EC relating to materials and articles made of regenerated cellulose film intended to come into contact with foodstuffs.