Why The Overall Migration Limit (OML) Testing is of Critical Importance in Food Safety
Food contact materials, such as plastics, rubber, ceramics, and metals, can release chemical substances into food during contact, posing potential food safety risks. Overall Migration Limit (OML) testing is a crucial indicator for assessing the safety of these materials. Its significance is highlighted in several key areas: Protecting Consumer Health OML testing quantifies the total amount of non-volatile substances that migrate from the material into food. This helps prevent health risks such as chronic poisoning, cancer, and birth defects that could result from excessive levels of harmful substances (e.g., plasticizers, heavy metals, monomer residues). For instance, if phthalate plasticizers from plastics migrate into food, they could disrupt the human endocrine system. Ensuring Regulatory Compliance Major global markets have established strict OML limits for food contact materials: Ÿ European Union (EU): According to Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 an...