With respect to plastic bread crates made with post-consumer waste, what is FDA’s view in relation to indirect/direct food-contact regulations, given the bread is in a thin polyethylene bag in the crate?
Answer
Recycled plastic food-contact materials must meet the same regulatory specifications that virgin materials are required to meet and thus must be used in compliance with a specific U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance (i.e., food additive regulation or effective FCN), or be exempt from the clearance. They also must comply with the FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requirements that apply to food-contact materials, which require, among other things, packaging materials to be of a purity suitable for their intended use.