ScreenFood4Safety

“Metrology for food safety in the circular economy: targeted and screening methods for contaminants in food and recycled packaging”

The project will establish a metrological network able to provide, in collaboration with research centres and industries, innovative harmonized standards, internationally recognized, aimed at the detection and quantification of contaminants in food, with a focus on those possibly migrated from virgin and recycled food packaging materials.

To ensure a high level of food safety throughout production and distribution, it is crucial to improve and harmonise analytical techniques for contaminant quantification. This constitutes the basis for reliable data regarding food product compliance with regulations and for resolving disputes and minimising financial losses within the food industry.

Aim of the project

The overall aim of the project of ScreenFood4Safety is to develop analytical strategies and reference materials supporting food and food packaging industries in the provision of safe and sustainable products compliant to legislation. The project will develop validated and, wherever possible, SI-traceable methods to support standardised quantification of organic and inorganic contaminants.

New methods will be validated and implemented to reduce measurement uncertainty or support relevant legislation. Screening methods will be devised to address the complexities of monitoring contaminants in recycled and virgin packaging materials, including eco-friendly containers. These methods will be standardised and employed in migration studies. For recycled packaging, they will enable the identification and quantification of chemical contaminants from previous uses, such as ink residues, adhesives, or cleaning agents In the case of novel/biobased materials, these methods will help detect potential natural chemical compounds that may migrate into food, affecting its quality and safety.

Consortium of the project:

• Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM) – Italy
• Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM) – Germany
• Central Office of Measures (GUM) – Poland
Institut za mjeriteljstvo Bosne i Hercegovine (IMBiH) – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Institut Jožef Stefan (JSI) – Slovenia
Norsk Institutt for Vannforskning (NIVA) – Norway
Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) – Türkiye
Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče Koper (ZRS Koper) – Slovenia
Chiron AS – Norway
Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Freiburg (CVUA FR) – Germany
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) – Denmark
European Federation of National Associations of Measurement, Testing and Analytical Laboratories (EUROLAB) – Europe
Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR) – Greece
MAX RUBNER INSTITUT BUNDESFORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUR ERNAEHRUNG UND LEBENSMITTEL (MRI) – Germany
Stowarzyszenie Natureef – Poland
Sciensano – Belgium
Tartu Ulikool (UT) – Estonia
Axel Semrau GmbH (AS) – Germany
Tovarna olja GEA d.o.o. (GEA) – Slovenia
GERSTEL GmbH & Co.KG – Germany
Yiotis Anonimos Emporiki & Viomixaniki Etaireia (JOTIS) – Greece
KB Folie Polska Sp. z o.o.– Poland
National Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Materials Switzerland, Kantonales Labor Zürich (KLZH) – Switzerland
LGC Limited – United Kingdom
Eidgenössisches Institut für Metrologie METAS – Switzerland
realcycle GmbH – Switzerland
Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund – SQTS – Switzerland