This includes ocean bound plastic, but does not apply to recycled plastic from controlled environments such as UK kerbside collection, which can be safely used to package food.
This is after the Joint Expert Group for Food Contact Materials published its assessment on the use of ocean bound plastics in food contact materials, including packaging used for meat, poultry and fish products sold in supermarkets.
The FSA and FSS subsequently reviewed the assessment and concluded that there is not enough evidence to confirm the safety of this type of plastic when used to manufacture food packaging.
Deputy director of food policy at the FSA, Dr James Cooper, said that the organisation was cognizant of the benefits of recycling abandoned plastic collected from the open environment, but that its role was primarily to protect public health.
“[Recycling abandoned plastic], if carried out appropriately, can protect the environment while supporting innovation and economic growth,” Cooper said.
“However, our role is to ensure food is safe and we have concerns over the safety of these plastics, which we term abandoned environmental plastic, when used in their recycled form for products such as ready meal containers, fresh food trays and bottles.”
Cooper added that abandoned environmental plastic currently represents a small percentage of the recycled plastic market.
“The majority comprises kerbside recycled plastics which are still viable for food contact material,” he continued.
“Plastic materials collected from established and controlled environments such as UK kerbside collection systems have undergone substantial work in the past to ensure that they adhere to current safety standards.
“Unfortunately, we are currently not confident that the collection of abandoned environmental plastic, which is subsequently mechanically recycled, is meeting the same standards.”
Head of materials systems transformation at charity organisation WRAP, Helen Bird, welcomed the FSA providing clarification on the issue.
“Recycling plastics into food grade packaging is done with upmost care using material collected from kerbside only to ensure that the plastic derives from food packaging, for food safety reasons,” Bird said.
“Plastic pollution is an environmental disaster. We must eliminate problematic and unnecessary single use plastic and recycle plastic back into appropriate products and packaging, where possible.
“Most supermarkets and the food brands they sell are members of The UK Plastics Pact and committed to this end. Through their actions, 33 billion plastic items have already been removed from shelves. But more needs to be done to deal with the legacy plastic pollution.”
