Stakeholder workshop on non-plastic food contact materials

The workshop on risk assessment issues related to the non-plastic food contact materials will take place in Milan (Italy) from 9 to 10 of March 2011.

This workshop will be an important step before the finalisation of a report by the EFSA scientific cooperation working group on non-plastic food contact materials that is expected to be published in the first half of 2011.

Participants will be invited to comment on:

• the progress of the work;
• the compilation of evaluations of substances ;
• the principles for prioritisation of evaluations.

They will also have the opportunity to present their own approaches for risk assessment in perspective of future actions to be taken in this area. They are expected to actively contribute to the conclusions of the workshop.

Representatives of different areas of non-plastic food contact materials (coatings, printing inks, paper and board, rubber, silicones, adhesives, ion-exchange resins, wood, cork), of food industries and of consumer organizations are expected to participate.

The working group on non- plastic food contact materials was set up on February 2010 to help preventing crises in the area of non-plastic food contact materials. Since such crises are mainly due to the lack of harmonised risk assessment approaches and specific EU legislation, the tasks of this Working Group were to:

• collect and analyse information available in the EU Member States, on the safety of substances used in manufacturing of non-plastic materials for contact with foodstuffs;
• establish the principles for setting priorities for further evaluations;
• suggest further actions to be taken.

How to apply to the meeting

People wishing to attend the meeting should send their CV and a description of their field of knowledge to: wg.nonplastic.fcm [at] efsa.europa.eu by January 20, 2011.