Wrapping Food Packaging Law into Bite-Size Pieces

Federal laws, third-party food safety certifying agencies, and customer regulations all play key roles in what knowledge you have today regarding food contact packaging rules. Let’s start with some facts and unravel some common misconceptions. Table 1 provides an overview of commonly used materials for food contact packaging and some key information about each.

Fact or Fiction? FSMA applies to food packaging manufacturers

Fiction: Food Safety Modernization act (FSMA) rules do not apply to the manufacturers of food contact materials (bottles, food service containers, cans, etc.).

While packaging does not fall under the umbrella of FSMA, it does fall under a different set of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations located in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) in parts 174–179 and 186. This is where the regulations for indirect food additives, including food contact packaging, are found. The category of indirect food additives also includes adhesives and components of coatings, paper and paperboard components, polymers, adjuvants, production aids, sanitizers, and irradiation processes.

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