Green plastics for food packaging 529 ultimately be used. In practice, packaging materials are tested and from this it is concluded that a complete packaging will be disintegrated if all its materials are capable of disintegration. A complete packaging should, however, be tested in cases where a direct conclusion is not possible, e.g., if two or more packaging materials are firmly joined together forming a fixed multi-layer structure Due to the nature and analytical condition of the disintegration test, the test results cannot differentiate between biodegradation and biotic disintegration but they are required to demonstrate that a sufficient disintegration of the test materials is achieved within the specified treatment time of biowaste. By combining these observations with the information obtained from the laboratory tests it can be concluded whether a test material is sufficiently biodegradable under the known conditions of biological waste treatment Food Contact Materials are all materials and articles intended to come into and articles that are in contact with water intended for human consumption, but it does not cover fixed public or private water supply equipment The harmonisation at EU level of the legislation on Food Contact Materials fulfils two essential goals: the protection of the health of the consumer and the removal of technical barriers to trade. Food contact materials shall be safe and shall not transfer their components into the foodstuff in unacceptable quantities. The transfer of constituents of the food contact materials into the food is called igration. To ensure the protection of the health of the consumer and to avoid the area of plastic materials: 8 an overall migration limit of 60mg(of substances kg(of foodstuff or food simulants) that applies to all substances that can migrate from the food contact material to the foodstuff and a specific migration limit ML) which applies to individual authorised substances and is fixed on the basis of the toxicological evaluation of the substance. The SML is generally established ccording to the acceptable daily intake or the tolerable daily intake set by the Scientific Committee on Food. To set the limit, it is assumed that, every day throughout his/her lifetime, a person of 60kg eats Ikg of food packed in plastic containing the relevant substance at the maximum permitted quantity 24.5 Current applications 24.5.1 Introduction Despite the problems still encountered in properties and production of biopolymers, biodegradable food packaging products enter the market because of supermarkets being increasingly tricked by the marketing effect of a green image. Novamont has begun to supply Tesco with nets for fruits and bags to Swiss and German supermarkets. Albert Heijn in The Netherlands uses biodegradable packages from Natura Verpackung while Sainsbury in the UK is doing composting trials for food waste at 75 of its stores, using Mater-Bi bagsultimately be used. In practice, packaging materials are tested and from this it is concluded that a complete packaging will be disintegrated if all its materials are capable of disintegration. A complete packaging should, however, be tested in cases where a direct conclusion is not possible, e.g., if two or more packaging materials are firmly joined together forming a fixed multi-layer structure. Due to the nature and analytical condition of the disintegration test, the test results cannot differentiate between biodegradation and biotic disintegration but they are required to demonstrate that a sufficient disintegration of the test materials is achieved within the specified treatment time of biowaste. By combining these observations with the information obtained from the laboratory tests it can be concluded whether a test material is sufficiently biodegradable under the known conditions of biological waste treatment. Food Contact Materials are all materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, including not only packaging materials but also cutlery, dishes, processing machines, containers, etc.17 The term also includes materials and articles that are in contact with water intended for human consumption, but it does not cover fixed public or private water supply equipment. The harmonisation at EU level of the legislation on Food Contact Materials fulfils two essential goals: the protection of the health of the consumer and the removal of technical barriers to trade. Food contact materials shall be safe and shall not transfer their components into the foodstuff in unacceptable quantities. The transfer of constituents of the food contact materials into the food is called migration. To ensure the protection of the health of the consumer and to avoid adulteration of the foodstuff two types of migration limits have been established in the area of plastic materials:18 an overall migration limit of 60mg (of substances)/ kg (of foodstuff or food simulants) that applies to all substances that can migrate from the food contact material to the foodstuff and a specific migration limit (SML) which applies to individual authorised substances and is fixed on the basis of the toxicological evaluation of the substance. The SML is generally established according to the acceptable daily intake or the tolerable daily intake set by the Scientific Committee on Food. To set the limit, it is assumed that, every day throughout his/her lifetime, a person of 60kg eats 1kg of food packed in plastics containing the relevant substance at the maximum permitted quantity. 24.5 Current applications 24.5.1 Introduction Despite the problems still encountered in properties and production of biopolymers, biodegradable food packaging products enter the market because of supermarkets being increasingly tricked by the marketing effect of a green image. Novamont has begun to supply Tesco with nets for fruits and bags to Swiss and German supermarkets. Albert Heijn in The Netherlands uses biodegradable packages from Natura Verpackung while Sainsbury in the UK is doing composting trials for food waste at 75 of its stores, using Mater-Bi bags. Green plastics for food packaging 529