Requirements for food contact materials

The safety of food contact materials, such as labels, is just as important as the safety of food itself. Whether the food contact material is a label or packaging, whether it’s in direct or indirect contact with food, ensuring safety is a must. 

In the EU, food contact materials are strictly regulated. They must be tested and proven to not endanger human health; bring about an unacceptable change in the food’s composition; or cause a deterioration in the food’s sensory characteristics (e.g. taste, texture). 

Regulated, label-related food-contact materials include plastics, paper, varnishes, coatings, and adhesives. While the regulation of plastics that come into contact with food is harmonized within the EU, for paper, board, coatings, and adhesives it is not, which can complicate your label material selection process.

The label as a food contact material

What goes into making your food or beverage label is just as important as what you print on the front. After all, labels are multilayered products composed of multiple materials, each with different properties and subject to different rules.

We aim to provide clear, accurate, and up-to-date information for every label material we offer for food contact applications. We thoroughly assess each material in accordance with applicable rules and work closely with internal and external experts to ensure that our materials meet performance demands and comply with all relevant regulations. 

The regulatory landscape is continuously changing, so we actively review and assess our materials to ensure that our products are compliant today and in the future. 

Our food contact compliance solutions

We offer solutions that meet the compliance and performance needs of a broad range of direct food contact applications, foodstuffs, and usage conditions. 

For complete information regarding the food contact compliance status of a material, you can request a Food Contact Statement from your local sales representative.

You can also request a personalized compliance statement that shows which regulations a specific product complies with via the link below.

On the ‘Download compliance certificates’ page, you can find detailed information about our products, including the food contact compliance status of a range of our adhesives.

Contact us

Have questions about the compliance of a specific label material, or compliant labeling in general? Contact your Avery Dennison sales representative for more information.