Safety assessment of the processes EREMA based on EREMA MPR and EREMA Basic technologies used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials

Abstract

[EN] The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling processes EREMA (EU register number RECYC204), which use the EREMA MPR and EREMA Basic technologies. The input material is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a reactor under vacuum before being extruded (the latter step is only applicable for the EREMA Basic technology). Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that the reactor (step 2) is critical in determining the decontamination efficiency. The operating parameters to control the performance of this step are temperature, pressure and residence time. It was demonstrated that these recycling processes are able to ensure a level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food below the conservatively modelled migration of 0.15 mu g/kg food, derived from the exposure scenario for toddlers when such recycled PET is used at up to 100%. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from these processes is not considered to be of safety concern when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, except drinking water, for long-term storage at room temperature. Articles made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used in microwave and conventional ovens and such uses are not covered by this evaluation.