The Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which extend to Scotland only, amend the Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations 1998 (“the 1998 Regulations”). These Regulations implement Commission Directive 1999/91/EC amending Directive 90/128/EEC relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs.

These Regulations–

(a) update the lists of monomers and additives which can be used in the manufacture of plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (regulations 10 and 11 and Schedules 1 and 2);

(b) impose restrictions and specifications in respect of some of those monomers and additives (regulations 5(a), 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12 and Schedules 1, 2 and 4); in particular, a new type of restriction for additives is introduced (maximum permitted quantity of the substance in the finished material or article expressed as mg per 6 dm2 of the surface in contact with food);

(c) bring products obtained by bacterial fermentation within the scope of the 1998 Regulations and impose restrictions and specifications for such products (regulations 4, 5(b), 7 and 12 and Schedule 3);

(d) include a transitional provision (regulation 9); and

(e) make some consequential amendments (regulations 3 and 13(a)) and correct two errors in the 1998 Regulations (regulations 10(d) and 13(b)).

A Regulatory Impact Assessment, which includes a compliance cost assessment of the effect which these Regulations have on business costs, has been prepared and has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies may be obtained from the Food Standards Agency, 6th Floor, St Magnus House, 25 Guild Street, Aberdeen AB11 6NJ.