528 Novel food packaging techniques defined as a material that must be capable of physical, chemical, thermal and/or decomposes completely into carbon dioxide and water. as compost ultimately biological degradation such that this material used According to European directive No. 94/62 the producer or importer of ackaging is responsible for the recovery of a substantial fraction of the annual amount of packaging it produces in the market. It states that at least 65% must be recovered, at least 45% must be recovered by material recycling and at least 15% of each packaging material must be recycled. The term recovery denotes the sum of recycling(material recovery ), incineration(energy recovery)and composting(organic recovery). Furthermore, the directive prohibits packaging hat does not fulfil the essential requirements. For products to be designed to be compostable the requirement is that they should be of such a biodegradable nature that it does not hinder the source-separated collection of biowaste, nor the omposting activities in which it will be treated. A draft standard, prEN 13432 as been made with requirements for compostable products. According to this standard, the following criteria are relevant for a compostable product 1. The individual packaging components shall be completely biodegradable 2. The total product shall disintegrate completely during a composting process 3. The addition of the product to the biowaste shall not have negative effects on the composting process 4. The addition of the product to the biowaste shall not have negative effects on the quality of the final To demonstrate biodegradability, it is possible to use several internationally accepted standard methods for determining the biodegradability of organic compounds. Both aquatic tests and tests with high solids environments are allowed, although tests under controlled composting conditions are preferred Evaluation criteria follow For a packaging material or the constituents of a packaging material which consists of only one polymer (homo-polymer or random copolymer) without any additives, the degree of biodegradation based on carbon dioxide release or oxygen consumption shall be more than 60% of the theoretical value 2. For a packaging material or the constituents of a packaging material comprised of different components(polymer blends), or block copolymers and after addition of low molecular additives, the degree of biodegradation based on carbon dioxide release or oxygen consumption shall be more tha 90% of the theoretical value 3. The period of application of the test methods shall be a maximum of six Unless technically impossible, the packaging, packaging materials or packaging component shall be tested for disintegration in the form in which it willdefined as a material that must be capable of physical, chemical, thermal and/or biological degradation such that this material used as compost ultimately decomposes completely into carbon dioxide and water. 2 According to European directive No. 94/62 the producer or importer of packaging is responsible for the recovery of a substantial fraction of the annual amount of packaging it produces in the market. It states that at least 65% must be recovered, at least 45% must be recovered by material recycling and at least 15% of each packaging material must be recycled. The term recovery denotes the sum of recycling (material recovery), incineration (energy recovery) and composting (organic recovery). Furthermore, the directive prohibits packaging that does not fulfil the essential requirements. For products to be designed to be compostable the requirement is that ‘they should be of such a biodegradable nature that it does not hinder the source-separated collection of biowaste, nor the composting activities in which it will be treated’. A draft standard, prEN 13432, has been made with requirements for compostable products. According to this standard, the following criteria are relevant for a compostable product.16 1. The individual packaging components shall be completely biodegradable. 2. The total product shall disintegrate completely during a composting process. 3. The addition of the product to the biowaste shall not have negative effects on the composting process. 4. The addition of the product to the biowaste shall not have negative effects on the quality of the final compost. To demonstrate biodegradability, it is possible to use several internationally accepted standard methods for determining the biodegradability of organic compounds. Both aquatic tests and tests with high solids environments are allowed, although tests under controlled composting conditions are preferred. Evaluation criteria follow. 1. For a packaging material or the constituents of a packaging material which consists of only one polymer (homo-polymer or random copolymer) without any additives, the degree of biodegradation based on carbon dioxide release or oxygen consumption shall be more than 60% of the theoretical value. 2. For a packaging material or the constituents of a packaging material comprised of different components (polymer blends), or block copolymers and after addition of low molecular additives, the degree of biodegradation based on carbon dioxide release or oxygen consumption shall be more than 90% of the theoretical value. 3. The period of application of the test methods shall be a maximum of six months Unless technically impossible, the packaging, packaging materials or packaging component shall be tested for disintegration in the form in which it will 528 Novel food packaging techniques