Research and Test Development

The Analytical Group at Pira International has over 20 years of experience in conducting research projects in the specialised fields of migration testing and food packaging safety. Projects have been conducted for the European Commission, the UK Food Standards Agency, European Trade Associations and international companies.

Food Standards Agency Projects

Recent projects completed or underway for the FSA are:

• Variables that may affect Monomer and other Migrant Levels in Food Grade Plastics Investigation of Migration from Decorative Shrink sleeves
• Identification of Chemicals that could Migrate into Foodstuffs from Pigments and Dyes and Measure Migration of these Chemicals
• The Effects of Storage, Temperature, Damage and Cooking on the Migration of Bisphenol A from Can Coatings
• Migration of Bisphenol A from Polycarbonate Plastic Food Contact Materials and Articles
• Survey of Chemical Migration from Can Coatings into Food and Beverages
• Survey of ESBO Migration into Baby Food from PVC Seals
• A new FSA project was started in 2008 'Screening tests for visible and non-visible set-off'.

European Commission Funded Projects

Recent projects conducted for the EU are:

• Modelling Migration from Plastics into Foodstuffs as a Novel and Cost Effective Tool for Estimation of Consumer Exposure from Food Contact materials 'FOODMIGROSURE', completed 2007.
• Certified Reference Materials for Specific Migration Testing of Plastics for Food Packaging needed by Industry and Enforcement Laboratories Completed 2003.
• Estimation of Migration by Generally Recognised Diffusion Models in Support of EU Directive 2002/72/EC, completed 2000

Trade Associations

The Analytical Group conducts studies for trade associations and industry 'common interest groups' who require targeted, confidential research. In many cases the objectives are to influence authorities or to provide migration data on their products to establish their safety for contact with food. Successful collaborations in the past have been with:

• ETS (European Tissue Symposium)
• EPFMA
• BPF (British Paper Federation)
• CEPI
• CEPE
• APME

Industry

The Analytical Group carries out a wide range of food contact research projects for industry varying from smaller, confidential studies for individual customers to multi-client projects with up to 20 participating companies. The multi-client projects tackle subjects of common interest to participant and the results are often published. Some examples of the multi-client projects are:

• 'Migration Project' 1985 - 2004
• Migration from Paper into Foods' 1998-2002

Examples of the achievements of the 'Migration Project' are:

• Development of test methods for overall migration and specific migration, for exampleterephthalic acid, ethylene glycol.
• Development of rapid and cost effective alternatives to overall migration testing.
• Generation of benchmark data in support of migration modelling
• Generation of migration data into fatty foods in support of Food Consumption Factors
• Development of hydrolysis test protocols and generation of migration and hydrolysis data on fatty amides for their transfer to SCF List 3.