Scientific opinion on the safety assessment of the following processes based on Modified Hybrid URRC UnPET technology used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials "CLR rPET", "PET to PET" and "Veolia"
Meta data
Competing interests: One member of the Panel did not participate in the discussion on the subject referred to above because of potential conflicts of interest identified in accordance with the EFSA policy on declarations of interests.
Abstract
This scientific opinion of EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety assessment of the recycling processes CLR rPET, PET to PET, and Veolia (EU register numbers RECYC029, RECYC053 and RECYC071) which are all based on the same modified hybrid URRC UnPET technology. The decontamination efficiency was demonstrated using the same challenge test. Through this technology, washed and dried PET flakes are coated with a solution of caustic soda and pre-dried in a stirred reactor under vacuum and then transferred to a rotary oven under dry air counter flow. The Panel concluded that the chemical etching of flakes, the drying of the flakes and the decontamination in the rotary oven are the critical steps that determine the process decontamination efficiency. The operating parameters to control the performance of these critical steps are dosing of caustic soda solution, the temperature of dry air, the temperature and the residence time of the flakes in the rotary oven. It was demonstrated by the challenge test that the recycling processes under evaluation are able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below a conservatively modelled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food. Therefore, the Panel considered that the recycling processes based on modified hybrid URRC UnPET technology are able to reduce any foreseeable accidental contamination of the post-consumer food contact PET to a concentration that does not give rise to concern for a risk to human health. The Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from the processes CLR rPET, PET to PET and Veolia intended for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs for long term storage at room temperature, with or without hotfill is not considered of safety concern.