Packaging
Today it is increasingly unusual for food not to have some form of packaging or sticky label, and as well as packaging food comes into contact with a wide variety of surfaces – for example, utensils in the home, conveyor belts in food manufacture, and boxes and vehicles when it is distributed around the country.
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Aluminium
Aluminium can be present naturally in food and it is sometimes added during processing. But aluminium can also pass into food from cookware and packaging.
Bisphenol-A (BPA)
Bisphenol-A , or BPA, is a chemical used to make hard plastics. It is used in all sorts of products, from car headlights to food containers. It's also used in the coating inside food cans, to stop metal getting into the food.
Cling film
Is cling film safe to use and should you avoid using it in certain situations? Find out more.
Plastics
Regulations on plastic materials and articles apply to those that consist exclusively of plastics, or that are made up of two or more layers of plastic material bound together by adhesives or any other means. In their finished state, these plastics must be intended to be brought into contact with food.
Re-using packaging
Many people re-use the containers that their food comes in, or the wrapping around it. Some re-uses of food packaging may be perfectly safe, but often packaging is designed to be used once with one food and it might not be safe to use it with others, or for a different purpose.