Compliance Standard
Safety guidelines for paperboard packaging that comes into contact with food are established through specific national chemical safety recommendations. Compliance with the bfr xxxvi food contact standard ensures that cartonboard used in packaging does not release harmful substances into the food. It sets the baseline for materials used in dry, moist, and fatty food contact.
Chemical Restriction
Chemical limits apply to raw materials, process aids, and functional additives used in the papermaking process. Under these rules, substances such as preservatives, sizing agents, and synthetic organic polymers are restricted to specific maximum percentages based on the dry weight of the finished paper. Recycled fibres are subject to particularly rigorous scrutiny, as they can introduce contaminants like mineral oils, plasticizers, and optical brighteners that require special barrier coatings to prevent migration into the foodstuff.
Transfer Limit
Testing procedures are required to prove that the packaging materials do not alter the taste or smell of the food product, and that the migration of substances remains below the detection limits. Standardized laboratory extractions use cold water and organic solvents to simulate the action of different types of food. If the paperboard fails these extractions or shows a sensory taint, the material cannot be used for direct food contact.
Handlers must receive formal declarations of compliance from the mill for every batch of board delivered to the converting facility.
