Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials

Abstract This scientific opinion of the EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety assessment of the recycling process Terrachim (EU register number RECYC122), which is based on the VACUREMA Prime® technology. The input of the process is hot...

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Main Author: EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-05-01
Series:EFSA Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4120
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author EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)
author_facet EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)
author_sort EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This scientific opinion of the EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety assessment of the recycling process Terrachim (EU register number RECYC122), which is based on the VACUREMA Prime® technology. The input of the process is hot caustic washed and dried PET flakes originating from collected post‐consumer PET containers and containing no more than 5 % PET from non‐food consumer applications. Through this technology, washed and dried PET flakes are heated in a batch reactor under vacuum and then heated in a continuous reactor under vacuum before being extruded into pellets. Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that the decontamination in the batch reactors and in the continuous reactor are the critical steps that determine the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters which control the performance of these critical steps are well defined and are temperature, pressure and residence time. It was demonstrated that the recycling process under evaluation is able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below a conservatively modelled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food. Therefore, the recycled PET obtained from this process, intended to be used up to 100 % for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs for long‐term storage at room temperature, with or without hotfill, is not considered of safety concern. Trays made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used, and should not be used, in microwave and conventional ovens.
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spelling doaj.art-848d7aef31a94ddfaeec0a1376d2b0112022-12-21T21:46:13ZengWileyEFSA Journal1831-47322015-05-01135n/an/a10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4120Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materialsEFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)Abstract This scientific opinion of the EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety assessment of the recycling process Terrachim (EU register number RECYC122), which is based on the VACUREMA Prime® technology. The input of the process is hot caustic washed and dried PET flakes originating from collected post‐consumer PET containers and containing no more than 5 % PET from non‐food consumer applications. Through this technology, washed and dried PET flakes are heated in a batch reactor under vacuum and then heated in a continuous reactor under vacuum before being extruded into pellets. Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that the decontamination in the batch reactors and in the continuous reactor are the critical steps that determine the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters which control the performance of these critical steps are well defined and are temperature, pressure and residence time. It was demonstrated that the recycling process under evaluation is able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below a conservatively modelled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food. Therefore, the recycled PET obtained from this process, intended to be used up to 100 % for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs for long‐term storage at room temperature, with or without hotfill, is not considered of safety concern. Trays made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used, and should not be used, in microwave and conventional ovens.https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4120VACUREMA PrimeTerrachimfood contact materialsplasticpoly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)recycling process
spellingShingle EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)
Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
EFSA Journal
VACUREMA Prime
Terrachim
food contact materials
plastic
poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)
recycling process
title Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
title_full Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
title_fullStr Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
title_full_unstemmed Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
title_short Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process “Terrachim” based on VACUREMA Prime® technology used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
title_sort scientific opinion on the safety assessment of the process terrachim based on vacurema prime r technology used to recycle post consumer pet into food contact materials
topic VACUREMA Prime
Terrachim
food contact materials
plastic
poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)
recycling process
url https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4120
work_keys_str_mv AT efsapanelonfoodcontactmaterialsenzymesflavouringsandprocessingaidscef scientificopiniononthesafetyassessmentoftheprocessterrachimbasedonvacuremaprimetechnologyusedtorecyclepostconsumerpetintofoodcontactmaterials