Safety assessment of the process Umincorp, based on the NGR technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Umincorp (EU register number RECYC302), which uses the NGR technology. The input consists of washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes mainly originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, with no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are dried (step 2), melted in an extruder (step 3) and decontaminated during a melt-state polycondensation step (step 4). In step 5, the melt is cooled down and granulated. Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that the melt-state polycondensation (step 4) is critical in determining the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters to control the performance are the pressure, the temperature, the residence time (depending on the mass and throughput of the melt) and the characteristics of the reactor. It was demonstrated by the challenge test that this recycling process is able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the conservatively modelled migration of 0.1 mu g/kg food. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from this process is not of safety concern when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, including drinking water, for long-term storage at room temperature, with or without hotfill. The final articles made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used in microwave and conventional ovens and such uses are not covered by this evaluation.(c) 2023 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

Automated summary

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated the safety of the recycling process Umincorp that uses NGR technology. The critical step in determining decontamination efficiency is the melt-state polycondensation. Control parameters include pressure, temperature, residence time, and reactor characteristics. The challenge test showed that the recycled PET obtained from this process is safe for manufacturing materials and articles for contact with food, including drinking water, at room temperature for long-term storage.