Open AccessSafety assessment of the process ‘Recy PET Hungária’, based on Recy PET Hungária technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
Author(s) -
Silano Vittorio,
Barat Baviera José Manuel,
Bolognesi Claudia,
Brüschweiler Beat Johannes,
Chesson Andrew,
Cocconcelli Pier Sandro,
Crebelli Riccardo,
Gott David Michael,
Grob Konrad,
Mortensen Alicja,
Rivière Gilles,
Steffensen IngerLise,
Tlustos Christina,
Van Loveren Henk,
Vernis Laurence,
Zorn Holger,
Castle Laurence,
Dudler Vincent,
Gontard Nathalie,
Milana Maria Rosaria,
Nerin Cristina,
Papaspyrides Constantine,
Tavares Poças Maria de Fátima,
Volk Katharina,
Lampi Evgenia
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
efsa journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.076
H-Index - 97
ISSN - 1831-4732
DOI - 10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5481
Subject(s) - food contact materials , pellets , human decontamination , environmental science , materials science , pulp and paper industry , extrusion , waste management , process engineering , raw material , food packaging , engineering , food science , chemistry , composite material , organic chemistry
The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids ( CEP ) assessed the safety of the recycling process Recy PET Hungária ( EU register number RECYC 0146). The input is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) ( PET ) flakes originating from collected post‐consumer PET containers, containing no more than 5% of PET from non‐food applications. The flakes are dried and extruded. The output of the extrusion step is cut into pellets in an underwater chamber and then recrystallised. The crystallised pellets may then be fed into a solid‐state polycondensation ( SSP ) reactor. The recycled plastic is intended for manufacture of bottles for soft drinks or water. The applicant provided a challenge test, but the flakes contaminated with the surrogates and the pellets obtained after extrusion and crystallisation were extracted with n ‐hexane without showing sufficient recovery. The Panel considered the extraction as unreliable and could therefore not conclude on the efficiency of the decontamination process. Furthermore, the flow charts provided by the applicant did not enable a clear identification of the steps relevant for the decontamination efficiency, and no sufficiently clear overview of the operational parameters of the steps of the process and the challenge test was provided. Without this information, a proper safety evaluation could not be performed. The Panel concluded that the process Recy PET Hungária is not sufficiently characterised and the applicant has not demonstrated in an adequately performed challenge test or by other appropriate evidence that the recycling process Recy PET Hungária is able to reduce contamination of the PET input to a concentration that does not pose a risk to human health.