Imports and packaging

Friday 13 January 2006

There are strict laws within the EU on the materials that are used in food packaging, especially plastics. So, if you are importing a food product into the UK, you must make sure that the packaging complies with these rules.

Legislation on materials that come into contact with food, such as packaging, requires that chemicals they contain do not get into food if that would endanger health or affect the quality of the food.

Throughout the European Union the core legislation controlling food contact materials and articles is European Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004. It is directly applicable in the UK and it sets out the scope of the measures on food contact materials and articles, the general requirements and provides for directives on specific materials, such as plastics. European Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 can be accessed on the European Commission website.

National regulations, such as The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2005 establish penalties for offences under the Regulation and provide for the enforcement of the European Regulation by the enforcement authorities. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have similar but separate legislation. See the Regulations on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.