• In the third quarter of 2018 the Trade Inspection checked materials and products intended for contact with food.
• The labelling of these products is satisfactory, reservations concerned less than 6% of the cases.
• Do you know what symbols are placed on plastic containers and what they mean?

In the third quarter of 2018, the Trade Inspection controlled various types of food packaging. It checked whether the labelling raised any concerns and whether products were properly placed on the market. The inspections took place all over Poland in 80 facilities, including wholesale outlet, shops and supermarkets.

Inspectors checked 425 batches of materials and products, including plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, silicone and ceramic packaging, and also other products such as silver foil, travel mugs, barbecue trays, enamel bowls, etc. They had reservations about 25 batches (i.e. 5.9% of them).

The labelling of the disputed products did not provide full information about their purpose (e.g. there was no “designed for contact with food” information or the glass and fork symbol was missing) or method of proper use (e.g. disposable paper plates are not intended for sour food), because either the manufacturer did not provide such information, or the distributor did not translate it.

In six cases, the seller had no declarations stating that the packaging complies with the provisions on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, or they were incomplete.

As a result of inspections, 13 batches of incorrectly marked products had to be recalled. The Trade Inspection sent one notice to the sanitary supervision authority and two applications to district courts; in two cases an instruction was given. Suppliers, importers and producers were informed about the inspection results and required to remedy irregularities.

What are materials intended to come into contact with food?

During production, processing, storage, preparation and serving, foods products come into contact with many materials referred to as food contact materials, such as shipping containers, packaging materials, containers, kitchen equipment, tableware, disposable dishes. These products should neither have negative impact on health of consumers nor affect food quality. In addition, they must be appropriately marked, including the glass and fork symbol.

What markings can we find on plastic materials?

Plastic packaging with water, yoghurt, ketchup or take-out food containers are marked with characteristic symbols of a triangle with arrows and a number in the middle of it. The digit informs us with what material we are dealing with.

01 PET: polyethylene, the most popular plastic, easily recyclable. It is mainly used to make plastic bottles for soft drinks and disposable tableware. Such packages cannot be heated, exposed to the sun or re-used.

02 HDPE: high-density polyethylene, popular and suitable for recycling. It is commonly used as opaque containers for milk, oil and detergent bottles, grocery bags and multifunction containers. The packaging is reusable and safe.

03 PVC: polyvinyl chloride; in terms of toxicity, PVC is considered hazardous, therefore its use in the production of food packaging has been significantly reduced.

04 LDPE: low density polyethylene, suitable for recycling. LDPE is mostly used for bags and plastic bottles. It can be reused but cannot be heated up.

05 PP: polypropylene, non-toxic. It is used, for example, for yoghurt or margarine cups and packaging for sliced cheese, fresh and cured meat. PP is considered a safer plastic option for food and drink use.

06 PS: polystyrene, in a foamed form, polystyrene is the Styrofoam. It is commonly used for disposable food containers, take-out containers, coffee cups.

07: other plastics used to produce different types of packaging, with very low recycle rate quality. This group also includes plastic materials that should not be used in food packaging as they may contain, for example, toxic bisphenol A (BPA). Packaging marked with this number is not suitable for microwave cooking and should not be re-used unless it is provided with the “BPA Free” or “0% BPA” information. Bisphenol A may increase the risk of some endocrine and nervous system disorders. In 2011, the industry voluntarily withdrew baby bottles containing BPA from the market.

If you have any doubts regarding the labelling of food packaging, please report them to the competent provincial inspectorate of the Trade Inspection. The State Sanitary Inspection is responsible for health quality of packaging.

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