In addition to regulating the safety of food, the Food and Drug Administration also regulates the packaging of food as well. The FDA refers to this as the “food contact substance” and it means any products that come into contact with food through shipping, manufacturing, handling, and packing. This includes polymers in plastic packaging materials, pigments, coatings, adhesives, antimicrobial agents, materials used to manufacture paper packaging, and sealants for lids and caps. Their job is to ensure that these products and materials are “safe. The FDA defines safe as “reasonable certainty in the minds of competent scientists that a substance is not harmful under the intended conditions of use.” This means that the substance has been determined to be harmless to the health of humans and animals. The safety of a substance is determined through testing the elements the material is composed of. The caliber of tests done is determined by the amount of exposure a regular person will experience in a regular day.
A trip to the grocery store proves that safety regulations concerning food packaging could be just as important as ensuring the food itself is safe. Everything comes in a package of some kind. Cereal, cheese, and even produce is packed in cardboard boxes and plastic containers. It is comforting to know that the FDA is regulating the packaging, but how do we know if these regulations are keeping us that safe?
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/default.htm
