Research on the Standard System of Food Packaging Containers and Materials

In addition to food safety risks arising from the food itself and the food chain, the risks from food packaging containers and materials cannot be ignored. During the process of contact with food, toxic and hazardous substances in food packaging containers and materials, such as heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and chromium, as well as formaldehyde, PCBs, and other compounds may migrate and infiltrate into foods, causing food contamination. In recent years, plasticizers (phthalates) in edible oil plastic buckets and bisphenol A in domestic milk bottles have caused people to panic about food safety to some extent. Therefore, ensuring the safety of food packaging containers and materials is an integral part of food safety. Continuously strengthening the standardization of food and food packaging containers and materials, establishing and improving the food standard system are important means for ensuring food packaging containers and materials. This article intends to discuss the food packaging containers and materials standard system and its implementation recommendations, with a view to providing reference for the standardization of China's food packaging containers and materials.

1 The status quo of standard systems for food packaging containers and materials at home and abroad

1.1 Status Quo and Problems of the Standard System of Food Packaging Containers and Materials in China

The “Food Packaging Containers and Materials Classification” (GB/T 23509-2009) stipulates that food packaging containers and materials are divided into plastic packaging containers and materials, paper packaging containers and materials, glass packaging containers, ceramic packaging containers, and metal packaging. Containers and materials, composite packaging containers and materials, other packaging containers, auxiliary materials and aids.

In recent years, the standardization work and construction of food packaging containers and materials in China have been continuously strengthened, and relatively fruitful results have been achieved. This has played an important role in ensuring the health and safety of the people and promoting the international trade of food. As of December 2009, there were 513 food packaging containers and materials standards in China, including 412 national standards, 101 industrial standards, 98 compulsory standards, and 415 recommended standards; the standard types mainly include food packaging containers and materials. Product quality specifications and performance index standards, safety and health standards, analysis and testing method standards, label identification standards, etc.; average age is 11.56 years

Among them, 57% of the population has a standard age of more than 10 years; the sampling rate is about 10%, of which the national standard is 12.5% ​​and the industry standard is 3.23%.

The relevant National Standardization Technical Committee is mainly the National Packaging Standardization Technicians Association (SAC/TC49, four sub-technical committees including bags and packaging machinery) and the National Standardization Technical Committee for Food Contact Materials and Products (SAC/TC 397). 6 technical committees, such as metal products, etc.). The industry standards for food packaging containers and materials cover a wide range, covering light industry standards, commodity inspection industry standards, packaging industry standards, grain industry standards, industry standards for supply and marketing, and fishery industry standards.

At present, the main problem of China's food packaging containers and materials standards system is that it has not yet established a standard system with quality and safety as the core; some food packaging containers and materials have insufficient scientific standards and have poor market applicability.

1.2 The Enlightenment of Foreign Food Packaging Containers and Materials Regulations and Standards System

Compared with developed countries at home and abroad, China's research on the food packaging standard system is still in its infancy. Therefore, it is very important to learn from the successful experience and advanced concepts of foreign countries.

In the United States, hygiene requirements for food packaging containers and materials are regulated in the form of laws and classified management. US Federal Regulations, Volume 21, Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics states that foods must be packaged in compliance with hygienic requirements; the production of food packaging materials must be based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP); packaging materials that come in contact with food and its composition The ingredients must meet the requirements. In the United States, food packaging containers and materials are classified as food additives. The management of packaging materials is divided into three modes: exemption from management, approval of food additives, and notification of food contact substances.

The EU focuses on controlling the safety of food packaging containers and materials from the source, with particular emphasis on the continuous management of safe production, circulation and consumption, and on the basis of science, all food packaging containers and material standards must be based on science. The "risk analysis" results are based on the elimination of various uncertainties in the risk assessment. Combining administrative regulations and technical requirements into one, government management has greater operability. Technical requirements are diverse in form, and are distributed in legal documents such as regulations, directives, decision proposals or opinions, rather than a single standard text. The EU's management of food packaging materials includes three types of framework regulations, special regulations and separate regulations. Framework laws and regulations stipulate the general principles for the management of food packaging materials. Special laws and regulations stipulate the special requirements for each type of substances listed in the framework regulations. Separate regulations are specific provisions for a single substance. EU requirements for food packaging containers and materials generally include lists of substances permitted for use in packaging materials, quality specifications, exposure data, migration data, inspection and analysis methods, etc.

2 Principles and Methods for Establishing Standard System of Food Packaging Containers and Materials

The construction of food packaging containers and materials standard system mainly applies the basic principles of risk analysis, standardization, systematization, structural optimization and orderly development. Among them, risk analysis is the current international practice. Risk assessment of toxic and hazardous substances in food containers and packaging materials through hazard identification, hazard description, exposure assessment, risk description, etc., to obtain scientific basic data.

From a traditional point of view, the construction methods of the standard system framework in China are mainly divided into two categories: one is the process approach based on the production process, and the other is the product type approach based on the product line. The standard system framework built on the main line of the production process usually covers all aspects of production. Through the construction of various process standards, a complete standard system is finally formed. The disadvantages are too complex, requiring technical procedures, product requirements, and organization management for each process. , Work requirements, and evaluation criteria are formulated separately. The starting point for constructing a standard system for food packaging containers and materials is not to focus on the process control of products from production to consumption. Therefore, the construction of a standard framework for food packaging containers and materials is not suitable for the production process. The product-based framework can only work out different levels of product standards, and then produce different grades of products according to the standard requirements. This framework starts with a single product and does not fully consider the overall situation under different conditions and the coordinated and sustainable development of the food packaging industry and the environment. Therefore, it cannot be said to be a complete standard framework for food packaging containers and materials.

The construction of a standard system for food packaging containers and materials should integrate process methods and product type methods. It cannot be entirely based on the production process, but it is not a simple list of different product categories, but a comprehensive consideration of the features of the food packaging containers and materials industry. And the purpose of constructing the standard system, drawing lessons from legislation and standard setting of food contact materials in European Union and other developed countries and regions, adopting methods for formulating different types of standards in accordance with different standardization object functions, and embodying different standards. Levels.

3 Structure of Standard System for Food Packaging Containers and Materials

3.1 Analysis of structural elements of standard containers and materials

Based on the above construction principles and methods, combined with the characteristics of food packaging containers and materials, the basic elements of the framework structure of the food packaging containers and materials standard system were determined, including 6 items including safety, economy, environmental protection, product categories, standard types, and standard levels. Elements.

3.1.1 Security Elements

The factors affecting the quality and safety of food packaging containers and materials include 7 aspects: 1 Heavy metals contained in packaging materials, such as lead and arsenic; 2 Unpolymerized free monomers and their degradation products in plastic products, such as vinyl chloride monomer and phenol , formaldehyde, etc.; 3 Use banned additives and auxiliary agents in food packaging, such as fluorescent brighteners; 4 Use of recycled materials, industrial raw materials for food packaging, unknown unknown substances introduced; 5 Various additives and processing aids Contains poisonous and harmful substances; 6 Harmful components in auxiliary packaging materials such as inks, adhesives, and coatings, such as benzene residues, heavy metal residues, etc.;7 Poor hygiene control during processing, storage, and sales, causing pollution, such as microbial contamination, Heavy metal pollution.

3.1.2 Economic Elements

From the perspective of economic practicability, excessive packaging should be prevented, and the recyclability of food packaging containers and materials should be enhanced so as to save resources and prevent unnecessary waste.

3.1.3 Environmental Factors

Food packaging should not only look good and practical, but environmental protection should also be an important factor to consider in the food packaging industry. On the one hand, packaging materials should be used as far as possible without pollution of the environment, on the other hand, the packaging design should use folding and deformation of green products with environmental protection.

3.1.4 Product Category Elements

Divided from the material, the standard system of food packaging containers and materials mainly covers plastic, paper, glass, ceramics, enamel, metal, wood, composite materials, auxiliary materials and other product categories.

3.1.5 Standard Type Features

Any standard has its own specifications, constraints, and defined scope. In the construction of food packaging containers and material standard systems, the standards for food packaging containers and materials should be divided into the following categories: basic standards, safety limits standards, inspection and inspection method standards, control management technology standards, label identification standards, and product standards. basic type.

3.1.6 Standard Hierarchy Elements

Different standards in the scope of application should be in different positions within the framework of food packaging containers and materials standard systems. Common common standards of various types should be at the highest level, and product-specific standards should be at a lower level to achieve a reasonable and simplified system composition. General standards and product-specific standards together constitute the standard system framework for food packaging containers and materials.

3.2 Standard framework for food packaging containers and materials

Although different food packaging containers and materials standards vary in scope and target, there are many common information that can be extracted, including basic standards for food packaging containers and materials, safety limit standards for food packaging containers and materials, and food packaging containers and materials. Testing method standards, food packaging containers and material control and management technical standards, food packaging containers and material label identification standards, etc. The unified extraction of these common standards has reduced the content of repeated research in the food packaging containers and materials standards system. The general standard sub-system and the dedicated standard sub-system are clearly structured, and the common general requirements should be expanded as much as possible. The scope of application to improve the versatility of food packaging containers and materials standards, while allowing specific standards for specific requirements to ensure the standard's applicability and operability.

According to the structural elements and levels of the standard system, taking into account the needs of food safety control, the characteristics of packaging containers and material standard systems, etc., the overall framework of the packaging container and material standard system is designed as a general standard subsystem and packaging container for packaging containers and materials. And the material special standard sub-system constitutes.

3.2.1 General Standard Subsystem for Food Packaging Containers and Materials

The common standard sub-system first includes comprehensive general standards. The comprehensive general standard refers to the standards applicable to all 2 or more food packaging containers and materials. It consists of basic standards, safety limits standards, inspection methods and standards, control and management technology standards, and other standards.

3.2.2 Special Standard Subsystem for Food Packaging Containers and Materials

The main product line of food packaging containers and materials is composed of standards that apply only to certain types of food packaging containers and materials. According to the principles of food packaging containers and materials product classification, the product-specific standard sub-systems are divided into 8 types, namely, plastic packaging containers and materials-specific standards, paper packaging containers and materials-specific standards, glass packaging containers-specific standards, and ceramic packaging containers-specific standards. Special standards for metal packaging containers and materials, special standards for composite packaging containers and materials, special standards for auxiliary materials and aids, and special standards for other packaging containers.

4 Recommendations for the implementation of standard systems for food packaging containers and materials

Based on the above proposed food packaging standardization system, the author proposes the following implementation suggestions.

(1) To learn from the successful experience of developed countries in the field of food packaging, and to strengthen research on the safety of food packaging and research on detection technology. According to different materials, shapes and conditions of use, the corresponding health standards and product standards are formulated, and the food packaging standard system is gradually established and improved so that the food packaging materials have clear standards, and the food packaging materials and containers are supervised with food and food. The regulation of additives together constitutes a comprehensive regulatory mechanism for food safety.

(2) To research and develop fast and efficient food packaging safety inspection instruments and equipment, formulate new testing method standards, continuously improve food packaging safety inspection methods, and improve detection capabilities and levels of testing organizations and manufacturing enterprises.

(3) Strengthen exchanges with relevant domestic and foreign institutions, learn advanced foreign management methods and technically cooperate with them, and strengthen the technical communication and cooperation among various domestic relevant departments such as health, quality inspection, and food and medicine, with complementary advantages. , Overall arrangements, rational division of labor, and work together to improve the food packaging standards system.

(4) Actively play the technical force of production companies and social scientific research institutions, and strengthen the guidance and coordination functions of industry associations. Through the establishment of a system of integrity, self-regulation of the industry and the company is realized, so as to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the entire food packaging industry.