EN 1186 Migration Tests: Certified Food-Grade Polypropylene (UK & EU)

The Science Behind the Migration Limit

When a polypropylene scoop remains in contact with a moist food — ice cream, fish, dough — molecules of the plastic material can pass into the food. This migration is physically inevitable. Standard EN 1186, using standardised food simulants under controlled time/temperature conditions, defines how this quantity is measured. The 10 mg/dm² global migration limit set by Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (retained as assimilated law in Great Britain) is a conservative threshold calculated with wide toxicological safety margins.

UK Laboratory Accreditation: UKAS and ISO/IEC 17025

In the UK, migration testing laboratories must be accredited by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. UKAS is the sole national accreditation body for calibration and testing laboratories in Great Britain, designated under the Accreditation Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/3155). A migration test report from a non-UKAS accredited laboratory is not accepted by UK Local Authorities or Trading Standards as evidence of compliance. The FSA publishes guidance on acceptable test reports for food contact materials on its website.

📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES

1. EN 1186-1:2002 — Materials in contact with foodstuffs: plastics guide. https://www.cen.eu

2. Retained Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 — Plastic food contact materials (GB). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/10

3. UKAS — Accredited testing laboratories ISO/IEC 17025. https://www.ukas.com/find-an-organisation/

4. FSA — Food contact materials: guidance for food businesses. https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-contact-materials

5. EFSA — Risk assessment guidance for food contact materials. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4426