The Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Restriction on the use of additives in the manufacture of plastic materials and articles

5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3) a person shall not use in the manufacture of any plastic material or article any additive other than a permitted additive.

(2) A permitted additive is —

(a) an additive identified by PM/REF No, CAS No (if any) and name in columns 1, 2 and 3 respectively of Section A or B of Annex III which —

(i) is of good technical quality, and

(ii) is used in accordance with any restrictions and specifications for that additive set out in the corresponding entry in column 4 of Section A or B of that Annex;

(b) any food additive authorised by Directive 89/107 or any flavouring authorised by Directive 88/388 that does not migrate into food —

(i) in a quantity that has a technological function in the final food product, or

(ii) where the food is of a type for which the use of any such food additive or flavouring is so authorised, in quantities exceeding the limits provided for in Directive 89/107 or Directive 88/388 as appropriate, or in Annex III, whichever is the lower;

(c) any additive where that additive, at the time it is used under paragraph (1), appears in the provisional list mentioned in Article 4a(3) of the Directive and otherwise complies with the requirements of national law in Northern Ireland;

(d) any additive not mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) that is used —

(i) in the manufacture of plastic layers or coatings, or

(ii) as a polymerisation production aid not intended to remain in the finished article

and which otherwise complies with the requirements of national law in Northern Ireland; or

(e) before 1st January 2010, any other additive used in accordance with the requirements of the Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008(1) and which, but for their revocation, would have been permitted by those Regulations.

(3) In any proceedings for an offence under these Regulations where it is alleged that the commission of the offence is due to the manufacture of a plastic material or article with any additive identified in Section A or B of Annex III or in the provisional list mentioned in Article 4a(3) of the Directive which is not of good technical quality, it shall be a defence for the person accused to prove that each such additive is present in the finished plastic material or article as an impurity, a reaction intermediate or a decomposition product.

(4) Schedule 1 has effect to supplement this regulation.

(1)

S.R. 2008 No. 167 as amended by S.R. 2008 No. 271