Food safety matters—don't overlook packaging materials.

“Food is the paramount necessity of the people; safety in food comes first.” Food safety has always been a top concern for everyone. Beyond the food itself, packaging materials—since they come into direct contact with food—can significantly influence its safety. Therefore, testing food packaging materials should never be overlooked.

What are food packaging materials?

The proper term for food packaging materials is "food contact materials and their products," which also includes composite materials and their products, as well as laminated materials and their products.

Food contact materials and articles refer to any materials or products—whether currently in use or anticipated to come into contact with food or food additives (hereinafter referred to as "food")—under normal conditions of use. This includes packaging materials, containers, tools, and equipment used for food during production, processing, packaging, transportation, storage, distribution, and consumption, as well as inks, adhesives, lubricants, and other substances that may directly or indirectly touch food. However, this definition excludes detergents, disinfectants, and public water supply systems.

Composite materials and products made by combining two or more layers of food-contact materials—whether composed of different materials or identical ones—through bonding, thermal fusion, or other methods.

Composite materials and products made by combining two or more materials—whether of different types or the same type—through methods such as assembly, welding, or inlaying, intended for food contact.

Therefore, conducting necessary packaging material testing for the above-mentioned materials is crucial to ensuring food safety.

The Role of Food Packaging Materials

Food packaging materials are essentially the food’s close-fitting outer layer—they not only effectively shield food from external factors like microbial contamination, chemical pollution, and oxidation, ensuring the safety and quality of food during storage and transportation, but also make packaging material testing a top priority. To some extent, these materials extend the product’s shelf life, while their attractive, eye-catching designs can enhance a product’s promotional appeal, ultimately sparking consumers’ desire to buy.

The Necessity of Testing Food Packaging Materials

High-quality packaging materials help ensure food is properly preserved, while inferior ones can negatively impact food quality. With rapid advancements in technology, the variety and quantity of food packaging materials are steadily increasing—though this trend also introduces potential safety risks. During the process of contact with food, harmful substances from many materials may migrate into the product, inadvertently becoming indirect food additives that directly affect consumers' dietary safety and health. Therefore, to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both businesses and consumers, food packaging materials must undergo rigorous testing to guarantee their safety.

Food Packaging Material Testing Items

The main hygiene properties of food packaging materials include: evaporation residue, potassium permanganate consumption, heavy metals, and decolorization tests, among others.

Evaporation Residue: Evaporation residue refers to the potential for food packaging materials to release residues when exposed to liquids such as vinegar, alcohol, or oil during use. These residues can negatively impact human health, and they also directly affect the sensory qualities of food, including its color, aroma, and taste.

Potassium permanganate consumption: Potassium permanganate consumption refers to the total amount of substances that migrate from food packaging materials into aqueous food simulants under specific conditions and can subsequently be oxidized by potassium permanganate. These substances are primarily small-molecule organic compounds, some of which may remain in the body for extended periods after entering it, disrupting normal metabolic processes and potentially posing risks to overall health.

Heavy metals: The effects of heavy metals on the human body are often subtle and develop over a long period, making them difficult for people to notice—yet they pose significant, often hidden risks. Once these metals enter the body, it becomes extremely challenging to eliminate them through natural metabolic processes. Moreover, heavy metal elements can accumulate in living organisms via the food chain, leading to bioaccumulation that amplifies their concentration by up to tens of millions of times—and ultimately causes severe harm to human health.

Decolorization Test: The decolorization test primarily evaluates how well food packaging materials retain their color during actual use. Products that fail this test may cause the added pigments to migrate into the food, and these pigments could contain toxic heavy metals and other harmful substances that pose serious risks to human health.