European Commission has proposed to strengthen the limit of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) released from ceramic food contacting articles. This new measure under Article (5) of Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food will supersede the current directive.

The Challenge:
Based on the consultation from Member States as well as health based guidance values set in EFSA opinions, the Commission proposed the following values as new migration limits for lead and cadmium:

The current proposal would reduce the limits currently in force by a factor 60 for Cadmium and a factor 400 for Lead. The current time line foresees adoption of the new measure in the second quarter of 2013. In addition, the Commission is also considering additional metals and applying the requirements to glass at a later date.

The Solution:
Intertek, through our extensive global network, offers a variety of services available to help you overcome the challenges related to complying with the new requirement, including the development of precise analytical methods in verifying the concentration of lead and cadmium content in ceramics food contact articles.