Food contact materials

What are contact materials?

Food contact materials are all materials and equipment that come into direct or indirect contact with foodstuffs. Contact materials include plastic bags, dishes, cutlery, equipment used in food preparation, and packaging materials.

Selling, manufacturing, and importing contact materials

Operators within the contact material industry (manufacturers, importers, distributors, etc.) must notify their municipal environmental health authority of their operations.

Requirements of contact materials:

Substances from materials and equipment cannot transfer onto foodstuffs in such quantities that it:

• could pose a health hazard
• causes abnormal changes in the consistency/composition of the foodstuff
• causes the sensory attributes of the foodstuff to deteriorate

You can find more information on food contact materials from the Finnish Food Authority website.