Representatives from

• Companies having interest in either EU and/or Chinese regulations
• Food or packaging companies exporting/importing EU/China
• Laboratories
• Regulatory public offices

Take a step into the world of legislation regarding food contact materials in the EU/Switzerland and China. Acquire essential information, solve case studies and learn about cross-cultural competencies through participating in this new intensive program.

Worldwide, there is a trend to regulate more and more the food contact materials. Different regulations in different parts of the world show on one hand many similarities but on the other hand some significant differences. In order to fully understand Food Contact Material Regulations, it is vital to also understand the packaging and food technology, especially to realize the benefits of food contact materials in providing safe food in a changing world. Currently, existing food contact materials resp. certain starting substances are under pressure in terms of sustainability and chemical safety, which may lead to the development or use of new materials. In any case, a risk assessment has to be done with existing and new materials.

The EU/CH and China Food Contact Material training course will cover the Food Contact Material Legislations in EU and China. Special emphasis will be given to the comparison of both legislations, whereby similarities and differences will be presented and discussed with the participants. The course will provide an insight into the food and packaging technologies to enable to understand the link between food contact legislations to the packaging applications. Additionally, the course will include the migration thematic including the testing methods and interpretations as well as risk assessment approaches in the EU and China applicable to food contact materials. Participants will also discuss the sustainability approaches for food contact materials with a European and Chinese view.

The EU/CH and China Food Contact Material training course will be led by experienced Chinese and European experts.

Module 1: Food and packaging technology

• Food Quality and Safety
• Packaging materials and processes
• Converting technologies
• Active and Intelligent packaging

Module 2: Food contact legislation in EU

• Structure of EU Legislation
• Difference between EU and CH
• Details of certain materials: Plastic, Paper, Inks, Adhesives, Coating, and others

Module 3: Food contact legislation in China

• Structure of China Legislation
• The enforcement in China 
• Declaration of compliance
• Difference between EU and China
• Explanation of regulation for specific materials: Plastic, Paper, Metallic, Coating, Additives for food contact material

Module 4: Differences between European and Chinese food contact legislation

• Materials versus final articles
• Understanding of differences
• Mutual recognition of data possible
• Understanding of NIAS

Module 5: Migration and corresponding testing methods

• Background of migration testing
• Modelling
• Testing for certain materials according to EU requirements
• Testing for certain materials according to China requirements
• NIAS testing

Module 6: Sustainability

• New Materials
• Biodegradable and/or Compostable
• Testing of new materials
• Safety versus Sustainability

Module 7: Risk assessment

• Risk assessment approaches in EU and China
• TTC concept
• Exposure Assessments (Facet, Matrix, etc.)

• Interactive lectures
• Class and group discussions
• Group projects and applications
• Self-study
• Exercises linked to case studies

5 days

• Prof. Dr. Selçuk Yildirim, Leader Centre for Food Production and Packaging, ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
  PhD from ETH Zurich, Switzerland. After working several years at the European Research and Development Center of Alcan Packaging, he was appointed as full professor at the Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zürich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. He is now leading the Center for Food Processing and Packaging and his group aims to develop of innovative and sustainable packaging technologies and materials. He is author of numerous book chapters, publications and patents. He founded the “Packaging Innovation Network Switzerland” and he has been / is the leading research partner of the network.
• Dr. Thomas Gude, Dep. Head SQTS, Swiss Quality Testing Service (SQTS), Lerzenstrasse 16, 8953 Dietikon, Switzerland
  Thomas Gude is Deputy Head of SQTS, Switzerland. After studying food chemistry in Berlin, Germany, followed by a PhD in the area of veterinary drugs at the Federal Health Service, Berlin, he has been working for an EU Reference Laboratory and for more than 10 years in pharmaceutical and chemical industry in various research and development positions (chemical analysis, toxicology, pharmacokinetic) as well as in quality assurance. Since 20 years he is now working for SQTS responsible for the food and non-food testing laboratories. Besides the analytical challenges, he is working in the area of risk assessments with special focus on food, food contact materials and non-food products. In addition, he is giving lectures at several institutions/Universities like ETH Zürich in food safety and analytical (food) chemistry.
• Prof. Zhong Huai ning (English name: Marco Zhong), Director, NRL-FCM, IQTC, National reference laboratory for food contact material (GD), Inspection and quarantine technology Center, China, 15-1 Yinxiang Street, No. 100, The middle of Xianlie avenue, Guangzhou, China
  Marco Zhong has been involved in safety of food contact materials and food for more than 20 years by performing analysis and risk assessment on specific chemicals, he is actively engaging in drafting Chinese regulations for food contact material since 2013.To date, he has drafted 20 Chinese regulations for food contact materials and published more than 100 papers in journals and academic conferences. His current research is focus on NIAS analysis, prioritization of high concern substances, and the safety of food-grade recycled materials, etc. In 2015, Marco was selected as the chairman of Expert committee for FCMs , China food industry association, assisting the competent authority and the industry to fulfil the legal compliance with scientific support.
• Dr. Zhu Lei, Researcher, Director of Research Center for Food Safety Standards, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA)
  In 2016, Zhu Lei studied regulation and evaluation method of food contact materials (FCM) in EFSA as a guest scientist. She is the Deputy Chairman of the Branch Committee on Food Related Products of the National Food Safety Standards Review Committee, the Deputy Secretary General of the plastic subcommittee of Direct Food Contact Materials (FCM) Standardization Technology Committee, the member of the ISO/TC 52 International Standardization Technology Committee of Light Gauge Metal Containers, the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Expert Committee, etc.
  Dr. Zhu is responsible for technical management on Chinese National Food Safety Standards. She has worked in this area for nineteen years. She led the development of numbers of National Safety Standards of FCM including GB 9685 Standard of Additives Used in FCM, GB 4806.1 General Safety Requirements of FCM, Standard of Printing ink for FCM etc. She took charge of numbers of research projects including National Key R&D Program of China, Beijing Natural Science Foundation Project and so on. She has published more than forty papers as first and corresponding authors.

Background knowledge of regulatory issues related to food contact materials would be an advantage, but is not a requirement.

Limited: To ensure close supervision, the number of participants is limited to 20.

Participants from China please register through the website: coming soon