A Food Contact Material is defined as any substance or material that comes into contact with food as part of packaging, holding, or processing, but is not intended to be added directly to, become component, or have a technical effect in or on the food. Food contact materials are one of priority issues discussed by the Prepared Foodstuffs Product Working Group (PFPWG) established by ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) to enhance food safety across the region through the establishment of harmonised requirements. These requirements exist to ensure manufacturers and producers are utilising materials which are safe when contacting with food.
As part of this endeavour, PFPWG has endorsed the ASEAN General Guideline on Food Contact Material (FCM) in April 2018 and developed the ASEAN Guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practice for Food Contact Materials (GMP for FCM) in November 2019 to ensure that all food contact materials shall be manufactured in compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). In the guideline for FCM, PFPWG mentioned the intention to prioritise and establish the schedule for the development of specific measures for 17 groups of FCM, including adhesives, ceramic, cork, rubbers, glass, ion- exchange resins, metal and alloys, paper and board, plastics, printing inks, regenerated cellulose, silicones, textiles, and wood.
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ASEAN for Business Bulletin - July 2023
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