August 18, 2015
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that there is no health risk from the use of fiberglass sizing agents for plastic food contact materials (FCM).
Fiberglass-reinforced plastics are composite materials made of a polymer matrix strengthened by glass fibers and coated with a surface sizing agent to hold the filaments together and support adherence to the polymer matrix.
EFSA’s food contact materials panel (CEF) does not expect any particular health risks from sizing agents, when compared with other plastics, due to low migration from fiberglass-reinforced plastics and anticipated low consumer exposure.
They have proposed that reactive polymers for the sizing be evaluated by EFSA before being added to the EU plastic FCM Regulation list of authorized substances.
The plastic FCM Regulation will apply to additives used in fiberglass sizing beginning January 2016.