Packaging materials and food packaging

With regard to packaging materials, the European Directive 94/62/EC contains special requirements for packaging components and packaging in terms of the content level of various heavy metals. Here, the content level of the four heavy metals lead, mercury, cadmium and chrome (VI) may not exceed a total of 100 ppm.

All Merck pigments from the Iriodin®, Miraval®, Colorstream®, Minatec® and Xirallic® product families fulfill these requirements.
In the US, this regulation is known as CONEG (Coalition of Northeastern Governors).

As regards food packaging, the requirements placed on pigments basically originate from the Council of Europe Resolution AP (89) 1. Listed here are heavy metals that serve as purity criteria to be adhered to when using pigments. The Merck pigments from the Iriodin®, Miraval® and Colorstream® product families, which we recommend for this use, meet these requirements.

The ‘No migration principle’ applies, which says that no substance may be transferred from the packaging to the foodstuff, and this must be observed by the manufacturer of the packaging material.

With regard to using pigments in foodstuff packaging, in the US Merck complies with the requirements of FDA Regulation 21 CFR 178.3297 "Colorants for polymers". For some of our pigments, so-called ‘Food contact notifications’ (FCN) are available. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.