Food Contact Regulatory Support
We provide expert support and analytical food contact testing to support companies looking to assess or prove compliance with food packaging regulations across numerous regions.
Novel and Recycled Materials in Food Contact Packaging: Regulatory Q&A
Expert insight into regulatory requirements for sustainable packaging, recycled materials, and food contact compliance
As sustainability targets accelerate and packaging regulations evolve, brands are increasingly exploring novel and recycled materials for food contact applications. While these developments align with circular economy objectives, they also introduce additional regulatory considerations, particularly where recycled content and new processing technologies are used.In food packaging, such materials are assessed against strict regulatory requirements governing consumer health protection. Where materials differ from conventional virgin plastics, additional evaluation may be required to demonstrate their suitability for food contact use.
This expert Q&A from Smithers' food contact specialists brings together practical insight and regulatory expertise to help businesses understand key considerations when working with novel and recycled materials.
What you'll learn:
- What qualifies as novel, sustainable and recycled materials in food contact applications
- Why these materials are gaining momentum across the packaging sector
- The key compliance challenges associated with recycled, fibre-based and bio-based materials
- How EU regulations govern recycled plastics for food contact use
- The role of functional barriers in multi-layer sustainable packaging
- Why NIAS assessment remains an important consideration for emerging materials
- How tailored testing and regulatory strategy support compliant market introduction
Smithers combines regulatory expertise with advanced analytical capability to support evidence-based compliance for novel and recycled materials. From early material evaluation through to compliance strategy and NIAS assessment, we provide structured scientific and regulatory support to align innovation with compliance requirements.