JRC publishes technical guidelines for controls of polyamide and melamine kitchenware, starting from sampling

The week of the 20th of June 2011, the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumers published the "EU guidelines on conditions and procedures for the import of polyamide and melamine kitchenware originating in or consigned from People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China" endorsed by Member States and supporting the application of  Regulation (EU) No 284/2011. 

For all practical information on sampling, migration testing and methodologies for the analytical determination of primary aromatic amines from polyamide and formaldehyde from melamine, the document refers to the present technical guidelines just published by the Joint Research Centre - Institute for Health and Consumer Protection.

Developed by the European Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Materials in collaboration with its Network of National Reference Laboratories, the guidelines are primarily addressed to official control, national reference and third party laboratories, to which they provide unified sampling and testing procedures for kitchenware made of polyamide and/or melamine.

In view of the heterogeneous nature and differentiated types of consignments of these articles, these guidelines represent an important development in the field of technical guidance for official controls. In particular, the harmonisation of sampling will greatly increase the level of confidence in guaranteeing the safety of imported goods, as well as in any ensuing legal decisions for articles non compliant with the EU legislation, when necessary. 

See:

• Technical guidelines on testing the migration of primary aromatic amines from polyamide kitchenware and of formaldehyde from melamine kitchenware (first edition 2011)
  
  

See also:

• List of food contact materials-related documents on the web site of the European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Consumers