The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) of the Council of Europe has published “Cork materials and articles for contact with food – A technical guide for manufacturers and regulators”.

Cork, which is harvested from cork oaks, is commonly used to make bottle stoppers and other consumer goods such as trays, placemats and fruit bowls. Harmonising widely used items is therefore an important step towards ensuring consumer safety.

This new and user-friendly guide presents scientific information and recommendations for compliance testing, and features a list of evaluated substances used in the manufacture of cork materials and articles.

It was drafted by the European Committee for Food Contact Materials and Articles (CD-P-MCA) after a comprehensive review of the Council of Europe’s 2007 Policy statement concerning cork stoppers and other cork materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, which it supersedes. It also supplements Council of Europe Resolution CM/Res(2020)9 on the safety and quality of materials and articles for contact with food.

The electronic version of the “Cork materials and articles for contact with food – A technical guide for manufacturers and regulators” can be downloaded for free, in English and French versions.

See also:

• Publications on food contact materials and articles
• Council of Europe’s policy statements concerning food contact materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs