Since the Food Division, under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is under consideration to update the notification of the Ministry of Public Health on determining the quality or standard of plastic containers. The key issue is to review the approval of plastic containers made from recycled plastic pellets. The safety of recycled plastic containers comes from the efficiency of the plastic recycling process. Countries with credible regulatory frameworks have guidelines for allowing containers made from recycled plastic. With this reason, there must be an efficient assessment of the plastic recycling process and the safety of recycled plastics. This is to ensure that the recycling process used can eliminate the contaminants from the misuse of used plastics as a recycled feedstock.
In this regard, the Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with (1) Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, (2) Department of Packaging and Materials Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University and (3) the Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization) have conducted a draft on Criteria, Conditions and Guidelines for Evaluating the Recycled Plastic Processing and Recycled Plastic Pellets Safety for Food Contact Materials. This draft will be used to navigate the guidelines for recycled plastic pellet producers in assessing the efficiency of their recycling process. Additionally, this draft has been reviewed by the relevant committee members. The Food Division, therefore, considered that such draft shall be circulated among the stakeholders and related private and public sectors. Gathered opinions will be presented to the relevant committees to consider the propriety in determining the criteria that is pragmatic for the entrepreneurs on the basis of consumer safety protection.
The details of the draft can be found here [link]. The submission form can be found here [link] (word, pdf).
Please submit your comments by 30 September 2021 by the following avenues
1. by mail at
Food and Standard Regulation, Food Division
Food and Drug Administration
Ministry of Public Health
Tiwanon Road, Talat Khwan Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nonthaburi 11000
2. by fax
Fax No. 02-591-8476
3. by email
Email: food.publichearing@gmail.com
4. by calling
Food Standards Group, Food Division
Telephone 02-590-7173 and 02-950-7179