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Articles are comprised of one or more food contact materials, which are themselves made of food contact chemicals. Food intended for human consumption may come into brief or prolonged contact with multiple articles before reaching consumers, and at each point of contact articles can contribute to chemical migration into the food product.
To help the food industry select safer alternatives, we profile food contact articles and provide relative rankings on different products currently available commercially. The design concept of the article rankings are inspired by the Healthy Building Network's Hazard Spectrums.
Key to Ranking of Recommended Actions on Food Contact Articles
| Recommended Actions | If currently using | If actively seeking replacements or alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| PREFER | Continue using; make improvements elsewhere in operations | Ideal choice, use if appropriate for a given application |
| USE (but seek alternative) | Search for a preferred alternative for future use | Acceptable, if not preferred |
| PHASE OUT | Safely substitute in a timely manner | Avoid whenever possible |
| AVOID | Eliminate this use as soon as possible | Never use or purchase |
If applying to rankings to supply chain decisions, please note the following:
- Rankings are relative within each article category. For example, a material that is ranked as "preferred" for tubing may be ranked as "use (but seek alternative)" for conveyor belts.
- Cost and performance are not incorporated into rankings.
- Rankings may continue to evolve as new information becomes available.
- The analysis is based on our decades of experience in profiling the hazards of chemical substances and materials (such as plastics) of concern, with a focus on practical solutions and safer alternatives. Our expertise has been informed by peer-reviewed science, technical reports, our own testing and investigations, and dialog with materials suppliers, packaging professionals, and food industry officials. See the Resources section for further guidance and authoritative sources.
