Migration et emballage: Les encres alimentaires en question

L'association de consommateurs UFC-Que Choisir "exige la mise en place" d’une réglementation pour protéger la santé des consommateurs, après avoir constaté la migration dans des aliments de dérivés pétroliers présents dans les encres et les cartons d'emballage.

Alertée par les analyses de nos confrères allemands et suisses, l’UFC-Que Choisir a réalisé un test sur 20 produits alimentaires vendus en France (pâtes alimentaires, riz, couscous, chapelure, sucre en poudre) afin de vérifier si les substances chimiques présentes dans les encres et emballages en carton étaient susceptibles de se retrouver dans les aliments qu’ils contiennent", explique aujourd'hui l'association dans un communiqué. 

Il en résulte que "les dérivés pétroliers, présents dans les encres d’emballage et le carton, se retrouvent dans les aliments !", déplore UFC-Que Choisir. Parmi les 20 produits testés, 14 contiennent "à des niveaux préoccupants, des huiles minérales provenant des encres des emballages en carton", détaille le communiqué, tandis que "pour deux produits, les doses relevées en huiles minérales saturées dépassent considérablement la dose limite internationale".

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A lire : Carton recyclé et sécurité alimentaire : une barrièrefonctionnelle à la rescousse!

Bisphénol A: le remplacer là où c'est possible, et sans tarder

Il est urgent d'agir : l'Agence de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation (Anses) juge nécessaire de remplacer "sans tarder" le bisphénol A (BPA), dont la toxicité est avérée pour l'animal et suspectée pour l'homme, en priorité dans les matériaux au contact des aliments.

L'Agence a procédé à une analyse exhaustive de la littérature scientifique et des expertises sur le BPA, un produit associant phénol et acétone, décrié depuis plusieurs années et utilisé pour la fabrication de très nombreux plastiques.

On le trouve, selon l'Anses, dans "près d'une soixantaine de secteurs d'activité" : conditionnements d'aliments et boissons, jouets et articles de puériculture, tickets de caisse des supermarchés et matériel médical. Sa consommation est "en augmentation régulière".

L'Agence a publié mardi deux rapports préliminaires, l'un sur les effets sanitaires du bisphénol A, l'autre sur ses usages.

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Éco-conception : Fonctionnalité VS environnement

Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) vient de lancer le Code volontairepour l'optimisation des contenants, emballages et imprimés, destiné aux entreprises assujetties au régime de compensation de la collecte sélective. D’après ÉEQ, la marche à suivre : trois champs d'intervention et sept stratégies proposées:

Basé sur le cycle de vie d'un produit emballé, le Code volontaire constitue une approche cadre. Axés sur les principes de réduction à la source, d'éco-conception et de recyclabilité, ces champs d'intervention chapeautent sept stratégies pour guider les entreprises dans le déploiement de leurs démarches d'optimisation : penser cycle de vie, adopter des critères d'approvisionnement responsable, améliorer le ratio emballage/produit, concevoir pour le transport, améliorer le scénario d'usage, améliorer la recyclabilité et communiquer.

Deux commentaires :

Un pléonasme: « axés sur les principes de réduction à la source, d'éco-conception et de recyclabilité ».

L’éco-conception des emballages intègre les aspects environnementaux, économiques et sociaux à chacune des étapes de la vie du couple contenu-contenant. C’est une démarche novatrice et préventive qui vise à minimiser l’impact de ces derniers sur l’environnement tout au long de leur cycle de vie. Il s’agit essentiellement de privilégier la réduction à la source, d’encourager la réutilisation et le recyclage et de promouvoir la mise au point de matériaux renouvelables. Cette méthodologie promet une approche multicritères (examinant tous les impacts environnementaux), multi-étape (considérant toutes les phases du cycle de vie) et multi-acteur (sollicitant tous les acteurs de l’entreprise et du marché).

Une confusion : J’avoue ne pas comprendre ce qu’on veut dire par « Améliorer le scénario d'usage » et comment on peut l’améliorer?

L’éco-conception présente, certes des vertus incontestables. Cette démarche est fréquemment profitable pour l'entreprise. Elle contribue à augmenter ses profits soit par une augmentation des ventes, soit par une réduction des coûts de production. Cependant, l’éco-conception ne doit pas faire oublier les fonctionnalités et attentes de tout emballage : Conservation, protection transport et…Praticité. Par praticité, on entend la facilité d’ouverture et le confort d’utilisation.

Mineral oil migration creates new concern for packaging

Findings from a series of recent Official Food Control Authority Laboratory reports coming out of Switzerland have raised concerns over mineral oil migration occurring in packaging made with recycled content. The reports focused on technical grade oils that are largely linked to inks used in newspapers entering the recycling stream. This research builds on previous studies suggesting that technical grade mineral oils pose health concerns and are found to accummulate in the liver, lymph nodes and heart valves when ingested. There are additional concerns about aromatic mineral oils being carcinogenic, though their toxicology data remains uncertain.

Mineral oils, which are by-products of crude oil refinement, have a number of packaging applications including inks, adhesives, plasticizers and protective coatings. They may also be found in some recycled fibers used in paperboard packaging.

The Swiss reports documented instances where mineral oils leached from packaging materials made of recycled content, specifically grades containing newsprint, into food. As one example of how mineral oils can contaminate recycled fibers, mineral oils are present in petroleum-based inks as the vehicle that carries the pigments. The inks are applied to a surface such as newsprint, where the oils absorb, attach to pigments or attach to fibers. The newspaper is then purchased, read and discarded into the recycling stream. Some mineral oils will be removed in the recycling process. However, most of the oils absorbed into the fibers are likely to remain present in the reclaimed fibers. The recycled fiber may then be used in paperboard, a common material for food packaging, where migration can occur.

As advocates for increasing recycling rates and using recycled content, how do we address this issue?

First, there is still uncertainty about direct and indirect contamination sources. Direct contamination is common in baking, when mineral oils are used for applications like conditioning pans, knives and cutting boards. Agricultural practices also have direct applications for removing grain dust or fruit and vegetable coatings. Regulations are in place to ensure that these applications meet food-grade specifications, but this cannot be ruled out as a potential contamination source.

Indirect contamination occurs through mechanisms like migration. At this time, a knee-jerk reaction to limit applications or look to alternatives could do more harm than good. The uncertainties around contaminant sources and health impacts should, however, be grounds for further research.

As far as immediate actions to mitigate mineral oil exposure, current steps to reduce exposure include using functional bags or barriers made of PP, PET or aluminum layers. Additionally, some manufacturers are reducing the amount of recycled content they are using or shifting toward higher-grade recycled fiber. Petroleum-based ink alternatives are also being considered, though all of these options could add costs that cut into profit margins.

On a broader level, this brings up the issue of transparency. There is an underlying need for greater transparency about the use of chemicals throughout all stages of production. This is not something specific to mineral oils or packaging, but it is applicable across all industry sectors and supply chains.

There is a need for better communication of product inputs and the impacts of these intended applications. Such information could lead to proactive solutions in the future and avoid recalls while reducing a company's exposure to risk and supply chains. Policy development should also be included in this discussion. Europe appears to be at the forefront of regulation and policy development while the rest of us continue to play catch up. Furthermore, universal policies could help to mitigate frustration and confusion among industry members and help ensure product safety.

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Yogurt Packaging: Yo'play Blox

Via Creative Inspiration

Yo'play Blox is a simple (yogurt) packaging that doubles as a modular construction toy. Children are educated to 'collect and reuse' instead of 'waste'. The pots fit together in different ways to create hollow, light weight, 3D shapes and figures. Various labels allow for a wide variety of play themes and educational games.

A Global Language for Packaging and Sustainability

New global guidelines on packaging sustainability will help companies reduce their carbon footprint while boosting efficiency and spur more effective communication between players throughout the supply chain, said Unilever’s Nigel Bagley.

The director of industry relations for the multinational giant delivered his assessment as the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) released its Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability (GPPS).

The guide was designed by a broad group of retailers and brand owners, in conjunction with packaging suppliers and manufacturers. The steering group included representatives from industry leaders such as Nestle, Unilever, Walmart, Tesco, Kraft and Proctor & Gamble.

Common language

The comprehensive document, targeted at the packaging and consumer goods industries, aims to provide a “common language” to help them cut the environmental footprint of their packing, said the CGF, a global industry alliance made up of over 650 leading companies from the packaging, retail and consumer good sectors.

The body added that the agreed definitions and metrics set out in the protocol would make it easier for businesses to tackle a range of commercial questions about packaging sustainability - either in-house or between their partners in the value chain.

The 74-page guide sets out a framework to outline and assess the relative sustainability of packaging, said the CGF.

It outlines a choice of indicators to take into account for making business decisions. These include life-cycle phases, the level at which an indicator could be used and at what part in the business. The report also examines the use of life-cycle assessments in product development, availability of data, types of packaging, as well as economic, social and environmental metrics.

Benefits to industry

Unilever’s Bagley said the protocol introduced harmony and simplicity to a hugely complicated issue that would allow companies to focus more keenly on improving operational efficiencies.

“This is a really significant project because a common language means it’s easier to communicate with our trading partners,” he added. “And less time spent having to agree definitions and filling in such things as sustainability scorecards, means we can focus on bringing benefits to the value chain.”

The standardised terminology and metrics also made it easy to operate in multiple languages and avoid duplication of effort, said the industry relations chief.

“The common language avoids duplication of effort in trying to make sure the definitions with use with French retailers are identical to those with German ones,” said Bagley giving just one example. “We avoid repetition and increase simplification and harmonisation. This improves efficiency and allows us to focus on other things.”

While the CGF is developing a number of other projects on sustainability, packaging was seen as the vital starting point, he said.

“Packaging is spearheading the movement towards a number of other carbon strategies,” Bagley added. “Packaging is something we could put our arms around and now we are working on other partnership projects.”

The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (Europen) welcomed the publication of the protocol.

"As the European organization representing the major players in the packaging value chain on packaging and environment issues, Europen welcomes the releaseof the Protocol and will encourage all our members to embrace it and use it in their efforts to achieve their business sustainability goals," said the industry body's managing director Julian Carroll. "Optimal packaging solutions, developed with the aid of the Protocol, can make a substantial contribution to more sustainable consumer products."

To read a full copy of the Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability click Here

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