SpecialChem announce launch of MigraPass™

SpecialChem announce launch of MigraPass™

Keywords: Food packaging, Software

SpecialChem have announced the launch of MigraPass™, an innovative online service to check food packaging compliance with the European Union (EU)Directive 2002/72/EC. The recent European Union (EU) Directive 2002/ 72/EC imposes the European food industry to omit from packaging material specific substances that migrate into foodstuff more than specified limits. All players in the food and packaging supply chain are now responsible for checking if the product they put on the market is compliant, from plastic manufacturers all the way to packagers.

A study conducted by SpecialChem shows that there is a lack of awareness in the industry regarding the new implications of this Directive. A common understanding is that the traditional migration evaluation options, mostly physical laboratory tests, require a lot of handling time and therefore are expensive, with results not immediately available. This is seen by many professionals as a hurdle to systematically assess compliance.

In order for the industry to comply on a wider scale – faster and at lower costs – SpecialChem is launching MigraPass™, an online migration modelling software that estimates the migration of substances from plastic packaging and indicates whether users comply with the regulations as defined by the European Union.

The MigraPass™ system, developed in collaboration with Pira International (UK) and FABES Research Company (Germany), estimates the migration of substances from polymeric materials to foodstuffs in accordance with the EU Directive 2002/72/EC. Based on Specific Migration Limits (SML) for components defined by the EU Directive, MigraPass™ certifies the compliance of plastic food packaging materials.

The underlying mathematical algorithms of MigraPass™ were developed by FABES. They are based on migration theory combined with thousands of actual migration studies performed in the laboratory. The MigraPass™ model is recommended as an appropriate testing method in the note for guidance to EU Directive 2002/72/EC as made available online by the EU.

“The recent authorization by the European Union to use modelling as a new and reliable way to estimate migration is a great step forward” says Christophe Cabarry, SpecialChem's founder & COO. “After decades of improvements, this is now a clear signal that modelling is scientifically recognized and professionally reliable. The fact that MigraPass™ is approved by the EU will help thousands of companies know if they comply,immediately and at low cost, 24h a day, 7days a week”.

Professionals only need to enter the characteristics of their packaging(thickness, polymer type, form, substances contained...), of the foodstuffs they pack, and of the contact conditions (time, temperature...), and MigraPass™returns in real-time a Migration Report and an SML Compliance Certificate that indicate compliance with the EU standards or not. It is a clear advantage for suppliers who can now provide their customers with certificates that are totally adapted to their packaging/foodstuff systems.

MigraPass™ is available at SpecialChem's online Migration Center at www.migrapass.com, an area entirely dedicated to migration, from theory to regulations, online trainings and calculation.