SG 086.22
Uganda has informed the WTO of its intention to publish a new standard for food contact materials and articles.
On June 22, 2022, the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced a draft standard from Uganda’s National Bureau of Standards on its intention to set out new requirements for food contact materials and articles.
The draft standard, attached to WTO document number 22-4853 and notified under G/TBT/N/UGA/1610, contains several important requirements. It:
- Requires food contact surfaces and the materials, including active and intelligent materials, used for manufacturing to be in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and meet general safety requirements
- Specifies food grade raw materials and colorants to be used for manufacturing
- Requires printing inks applied to the non-food contact side of materials and articles not to transfer substances from the printed surface
- Requires food contact materials and articles not to transfer their constituents to food in quantities exceeding overall migration and/or specific migration limits (see Table 1 below)
- Requires food contact packaging materials to be manufactured and handled in a hygienic manner, and in accordance with US ISO/TS 22002-4 ‘Pre-requisite programs on food safety – Part 4: Food packaging manufacturing’
- Details labeling requirements on each consignment and or packing slips are specified, including the words ‘for food contact use’ or the glass and fork symbol (Section 8)
- Indicates that products conforming to Uganda standards may be marked with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Certification Mark
Highlights of Section 4.7 ‘Migration’ in the proposed standard are summarized in Table 1.
| Draft Uganda Standard DUS 1659 Second Edition 2022-mm-dd Section 4.7 ‘Migration’ (per standard text) | |
| Section/Title | Highlight |
| 4.7.2 ‘Plastic materials’ |
|
| 4.7.3 ‘Metals and alloys’ |
|
| 4.7.4 ‘Glass Containers’ |
|
| 4.7.5 ‘Ceramic packaging materials’ |
|
| 4.7.6 ‘Active and intelligent materials and articles’ |
|
Table 1
| Draft Uganda Standard DUS 1659 Second Edition 2022-mm-dd Section 4.7.3.1, Table 1. Maximum release limits for heavy metals in metals and alloys for food contact use (per standard text) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Metal | Limit (mg/kg) | Entry | Metal | Limit (mg/kg) | ||
| 1 | Aluminum | 5 | 11 | Lithium | 0.048 | ||
| 2 | Antimony | 0.04 | 12 | Manganese | 1.8 | ||
| 3 | Arsenic | 0.002 | 13 | Mercury | 0.003 | ||
| 4 | Barium | 1.2 | 14 | Molybdenum | 0.12 | ||
| 5 | Beryllium | 0.01 | 15 | Nickel | 0.14 | ||
| 6 | Cadmium | 0.005 | 16 | Silver | 0.08 | ||
| 7 | Chromium | 0.25 | 17 | Thallium | 0.0001 | ||
| 8 | Cobalt | 0.02 | 18 | Tin | 100 | ||
| 9 | Iron | 40 | 19 | Vanadium | 0.01 | ||
| 10 | Lead | 0.01 | 20 | Zinc | 5 | ||
Table 2
| Draft Uganda Standard DUS 1659 Second Edition 2022-mm-dd Section 4.7.5, Table 1. Permissible limits for lead and cadmium for ceramic items intended to come into contact with food using ISO 6486-1 (per standard text) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Scope | Permissible limit | |
| Lead | Cadmium | ||
| 1 | PASS | 0.8 mg/dm² | 0.07 mg/dm² |
| 2 | All other articles which can be filled | 4 mg/L | 0.3 mg/L |
| 3 | Articles having a capacity of more than 3L | 1.5 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L |
Table 3
SGS technical experts have extensive knowledge and testing experience in materials and articles in contact with food. They work to ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials, paving the way for compliance. From overall migration tests to expert advice on emerging regulations, compliance issues and documentation review, SGS is the partner to trust. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Discover more on our website.
For enquiries, please contact:
Dr. Hingwo Tsang
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t: (+852) 2774 7420
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