Recycling post-consumer plastics for food contact applications is crucial for the circular economy; however, it presents challenges due to potential contamination and regulatory requirements. This review outlines the current European and U.S. legislation governing recycled plastics in food contact materials (FCM). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) mandates the evaluation and authorization of recycling processes. This includes examining input/output flows, prioritizing the use of previously authorized FCM, and assessing decontamination efficiency through material-specific challenge tests. Additionally, it evaluates new installations intended to apply approved decontamination technologies. In contrast, the voluntary submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides guidelines with general advice on methodologies and recommended parameters and challenge tests. Applications to the EFSA for non-PET materials, such as HDPE, PP, and PS, are reviewed, highlighting the challenges of each material. Recycled PS, with its lower diffusivity compared to polyolefins shows promise for food packaging, with potential as a next material approved for use in the European Union. Decontamination technologies for post-consumer PS are explored, including super-cleaning processes, solvent extraction, and industrial methods. The review emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to address the uncertainties around potential contaminants and ensure the safety of recycled plastics for food contact applications.

This study explores reusing discarded industrial polylactic acid (PLA), such as defective parts, scraps and burrs, for food contact applications. Reprocessing of PLA (PLA-RP) was simulated via melt extrusion, and the obtained pellets were characterized in terms of viscosity average molecular weight (M_v), melt flow index (MFI), the presence of non-intentionally added substances (NIASs) and the absence of metals to ensure that no substances exceeded the specific migration limits (SMLs). A slight reduction in the M_v, accompanied by an increase in the MFI, was observed in PLA-RP. In virgin PLA, fewer compounds were detected, likely related to residual additives. A higher variety and concentration of volatile and non-listed compounds were observed in reprocessed PLA (PLA-RP), with three exceeding their assigned Cramer class thresholds, requiring further evaluation. Most identified substances were typically linked to thermal degradation or potential additives for reprocessing. In both the virgin and reprocessed materials, all substances with SMLs remained below applicable thresholds, including trace metals. The PLA-RP was further processed into films by means of a compression moulding process. The structure, mechanical behaviour, thermal stability and water vapor transmission rate were comparable to those of virgin PLA, indicating no significant changes. The overall migration level tested in a fatty food simulant remained below regulatory limits. The materials fully disintegrated under laboratory-scale composting conditions in less than 3 weeks. Thus, reprocessed PLA shows great potential as a non-migrating material of interest in the sustainable food packaging field.

This study explores reusing discarded industrial polylactic acid (PLA), such as defective parts, scraps and burrs, for food contact applications. Reprocessing of PLA (PLA-RP) was simulated via melt extrusion, and the obtained pellets were characterized in terms of viscosity average molecular weight (Mv), melt flow index (MFI), the presence of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) and the absence of metals to ensure that no substances exceeded the specific migration limits (SMLs). A slight reduction of the Mv, accompanied with an increase of the MFI was observed inf PLA-RP. In virgin PLA, fewer compounds were detected, likely related to residual additives. A higher variety and concentration of volatile and non-listed compounds was observed in reprocessed PLA (PLA-RP), with three exceeding their assigned Cramer class thresholds, requiring further evaluation. Most identified substances are typically linked to thermal degradation or additives, for reprocessing. In both materials, all substances with SMLs remained below applicable thresholds, including trace metals. The PLA-RP was further processed into films compression moulding. The structure, mechanical behaviour, thermal stability, and water vapor transmission rate were comparable to those of virgin PLA, indicating no significant changes. The overall migration level tested in a fatty food simulant remained below regulatory limits. The materials fully disintegrated under laboratory-scale composting conditions in less than 3 weeks Thus, reprocessed PLA shows great potential as a non-migrating material of interest in the sustainable food packaging field.

The growing impact of fossil-based plastics on the environment has driven interest in bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA), a biobased and compostable polyester widely used in food packaging but with limited properties