PVC Cling Film from LINPAC Packaging Is Safe!

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1 PVC Cling Film from LINPAC Packaging Is Safe! And here s why.

2 PVC cling film from LINPAC Packaging is safe and here s why... The materials LINPAC use to manufacture its range of PVC cling films are authorised and listed in EU Regulation 10/2011 concerning plastic materials for food contact. LINPAC Packaging complies with all relevant EU plastics regulations as well as local legislation. LINPAC pledged more than 20 years ago to never use controversial phthalate plasticisers. Toxicologists and legislative authorities across Europe agree that plasticisers used in LINPAC PVC food packaging pose no danger to public health or the environment. Migration is at levels considered totally safe and falls well within EU regulations.

3 LINPAC Committed To Product Stewardship LINPAC Packaging takes its corporate, social and environmental product stewardship responsibilities very seriously and believes that concerns about health and environmental effects related to the manufacture, use and disposal of PVC film packaging result in misunderstandings of the scientific data, which are fully explained in this leaflet. PVC packaging plays a valid and valuable role in modern society. It is a versatile material, with excellent technical and commercial performance, reducing food waste through protection of foodstuffs across the world providing great benefit to society. LINPAC Packaging strives continuously to meet all environmental and food safety demands wherever it operates in the world and welcomes the opportunity to discuss the safe production and use of PVC with any concerned parties. LINPAC Packaging manufactures PVC film according to EU regulation 1935/2004/EC, plastics regulation (EU)10/2011 and uses only materials which are listed in that regulation as suitable for food contact use. LINPAC Packaging employs the required disciplines of good manufacturing practice (GMP) in its facilities to maintain clean and hygienic conditions and prevent contamination. This ensures LINPAC is in complete compliance with EU GMP Regulation 2023/2006 at all times.these disciplines are established and maintained via our Policies and Procedures of Operation in the plant. Our products are routinely tested to ensure compliance with the local and national regulations and the company works with several institutes and industry associations, including EPFMA (The European Polyvinyl Film Manufacturers Association) to ensure compliance to current and emerging legislation. LINPAC produces a range of PVC cling films in line with the EPFMA Quality Charter and designed with their end use in mind. Please ensure that your choice of cling film manufacturer also adheres to these strict guidelines.

4 About PVC Cling Films What is the PVC polymer used in cling films? Polyvinyl chloride more commonly known as PVC is among the most versatile of all plastics and is produced by reacting ethylene and chlorine together to produce vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). This VCM is then polymerised in water in the presence of catalysts. Any unreacted monomer is removed, the polymer dried and the inert powder stored ready for use. The polymer powder is then used in an extrusion process with other additives to produce PVC film. What are the benefits of PVC? PVC is a very versatile plastic and can be readily formulated to meet specific performance requirements. For example, it is naturally resistant to fire, offers excellent clarity and can easily be made shatterresistant, but that s far from the whole story. The plasticised form of PVC used in cling films also delivers flexibility and cling unsurpassed by alternative polymers such as Polyethylene and can be tuned to the application requirements. As PVC is also easy to process by all commercially important processing techniques, this adaptability of performance has made PVC the perfect polymer for a huge range of products. Plasticised PVC films preserve the freshness of meat as they have high oxygen transmission rates. This is important in allowing fruit and produce to breathe naturally and in displaying meat products in a fresh and appetising manner.

5 Why are there concerns about the use of PVC cling films? Misunderstanding of the scientific data has centred on two key concerns: Chlorine PVC resin is based from 57% salt origin and 43% oil. Salt contains the element chlorine, which has the ability to react with many other chemicals and in some instances, can produce a hazardous material as a result. Examples include dioxins and pcbs. However, chlorine is just as often inert and harmless as salt, or indeed essential, as in the hydrochloric acid we have in our stomachs to break down our food. In the case of PVC, chlorine has been chemically transformed to VCM (vinyl chloride monomer) and then polymerised into a completely inert polymer (PVC) with very low content of residual monomer (less than 1 ppm). For this reason, it is considered perfectly safe for food contact by all regulatory authorities around the world. The use of plasticisers in plastic film applications To make plastic films stretchy and clingy, materials called plasticizers must be added to the film formulation. These plasticizers, in some cases, have been known to migrate into food in extremely low quantities. Therefore, even though migration is minute, great care is taken in their selection and use. Why are there concerns about the use of plasticisers in PVC cling films? LINPAC Packaging takes its product stewardship responsibilities very seriously. The materials LINPAC uses to manufacture its range of PVC cling films are authorised and listed in EU Regulation 10/2011 concerning plastic materials for food contact. LINPAC Packaging complies with all relevant EU plastics regulations as well as local legislation. LINPAC pledged more than 20 years ago to never use controversial phthalate plasticisers. PVC cling film has been used for over 30 years in Europe and during this period it has become one of the safest and most widely used materials for wrapping food for professional and private purposes. Whatever material is chosen for packaging food, there is always some transfer of the constituents of the packaging material to the foodstuffs, but this is in minute quantities. Over the years, a considerable amount of research has been carried out to determine whether there is any concern of migration of constituents of PVC Cling films into food including the plasticisers used. Tests conducted in the UK, France, Germany and The Netherlands show that the average DEHA intake (the most widely used type of plasticiser in PVC Cling film production) is 6-20 times below the limits proposed by the EU Scientific Committee for Food, the latter already including large margins of safety.

6 As an example of its impact, a 70kg adult human would have to eat 500kg of cheese that had been wrapped in plastic film containing DEHA every day of their life to reach the observable level found in animal testing. There have also been claims that DEHA is an endocrine disrupting material. There is no validated scientific evidence to support this claim. In summary, PVC Packaging materials are not toxic and the plasticisers used in PVC packaging films are absolutely harmless to human health. Are there any applications where DEHA is not suitable and if so, what should be used instead? In Europe, there are very strict regulations governing the quantity of additives that are allowed to migrate into foodstuffs. Responsible manufacturers like LINPAC therefore produce a range of cling films each for a specific application (meat, cheese, butter etc). All cling films must comply with strict EU scientifically based migration limits. When DEHA is used in these films, it will be used in conjunction with other plasticisers and the proportion varies according to the destined application for the film. Should migration of the plasticiser be of significant concern, for example in high fat content foodstuffs such as lard, butter, cheese or meat, then polymeric plasticisers are used. These have a higher molecular weight than DEHA and therefore have a much lower rate of migration. How do consumers know which film to use for which type of food? Cling film manufacturers mark their products with clear indications of suitability for use by food type. They are also marked to show whether the film can be used in a microwave oven and/or for storing frozen food. Please note PVC cling films cannot be used in conventional ovens as the high temperatures cause the film to melt. Toxicologists and legislative authorities across Europe agree that plasticisers used in LINPAC PVC food packaging pose no danger to public health or the environment and that the migration is at levels which are considered totally safe by health authorities and fall well within the European Union Regulations

7 STRETCH FILM SOLUTIONS FILM TYPE NAME APPLICATIONS PVC Films Polyolefin Films VLMF Films LINwrap LINalta LINwrap Zenium and LINwrap Premium Cast Films MultiLIN OptiLIN LINfirst Designed for household and catering use, for all foodstuffs except pure fat Designed for manual wrapping of cheese Designed for machine wrapping of protein, dairy, bakery and fruit and produce ranges Designed to work with Digi and Ishida wrapping machines and suitable for all food products Manual wrapping of all food products Machine wrapping of all food products - designed for elevator type machines Machine wrapping of all food products - designed for linear, flowpack type machines APPLICATION VLMF LINALTA ZENIUM PREMIUM CAST MULTILIN OPTILIN LINFIRST RAW RED MEAT RAW LIGHT POULTRY SAUSAGES SLICED COOKED MEAT RAW FISH COOKED FISH SMOKED FISH PRAWNS PEELED OR COOKED CHEESE FROZEN FOOD FRUIT & PRODUCE The VLMF film range is suitable for wrapping all foodstuffs except pure fat (oil for example) and is easily recognisable due to its unusual pink colour. Please note that the Zenium film range for protein wrapping is suitable for all foodstuffs with the exception of butter, margarine, pure fat or food preserved in an oily medium.

8 For more information on the use of LINPAC PVC Cling Films, please visit contact your local sales representative or us at Are the materials your current supplier uses to manufacture its range of PVC cling films authorised and listed in EU regulation 10/2011? LINPAC Packaging s are! Does your current supplier comply with all relevant EU plastics regulations? LINPAC Packaging does! Does your current supplier use controversial phthalate plasticisers? LINPAC Packaging doesn t! Do the plasticisers used by your current supplier pose a danger to public health or the environment? LINPAC Packaging s doesn t! LINPAC Packaging Pontivy Parc d Activites de Kerguilloten Noyal-Pontivy France T: +33 (0) E: webenquiry.fr@linpacpackaging.com Issue:1 January 2015