Food-Contact Testing Standards Explained
How foodservice packaging is tested for migration, what LFGB, the EU regulations and GB 4806 cover, and what FDA registration means.
Food-contact testing checks that packaging does not transfer harmful substances into food: a laboratory exposes the material to food simulants and measures what migrates. ProThermo™ was tested to GB 4806.13-2023 (report 2513406917); the manufacturer's paper cups used for Calix were tested by Guangdong SCS to LFGB and EU rules. The FDA does not approve finished packaging.
‘Food safe’ claims versus test reports
“Food safe” on its own says little. What a buyer can check is a test report: which standard, which laboratory, which product, which conditions and which result. Restaurants and distributors in the EU and the US are responsible for the packaging they use with food, so asking for the report behind each claim is good practice.
Standards and results for SvartxLab products
| Standard | What it covers | Product tested | Laboratory and report | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China: GB 4806.13-2023 | Composite food-contact materials | ProThermo™ bags | Fangyuan Test (CNAS / ILAC-MRA (ISO/IEC 17025)) · Report 2513406917 | Overall migration 2.6 mg/dm² (70°C for 2 hours), limit 10 mg/dm² |
| Germany: LFGB §§ 30 and 31 | German rules for food-contact articles | Manufacturer's paper cups used for Calix | Guangdong SCS · Report SCS240516A02BR | Pass |
| EU: Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 | EU framework for food-contact materials; migration limits for plastic layers | Manufacturer's paper cups used for Calix | Guangdong SCS · Report SCS240516A02BR | Pass: overall migration, heavy metals, phthalates and vinyl chloride monomer |
| ISO 9001:2015 | Quality management system of a manufacturing plant | Calix manufacturing facility | Certification body of the manufacturer | Current certificate held by the manufacturer |
| United States: FDA | Facility registration (not a product approval) | Calix manufacturing facility | U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Facility registered with the FDA |
We meet these standards and hold the corresponding certificates and reports.
Calix Eco is in development; its test results will be published when it is available.
How migration testing works: the ProThermo™ example
Under GB 4806.13-2023, the Chinese standard for composite food-contact materials, the material is exposed to food simulants under defined conditions and the substances that migrate are measured.
In report 2513406917 from Fangyuan Test (CNAS / ILAC-MRA (ISO/IEC 17025)), ProThermo™ was tested for 70°C for 2 hours. Overall migration was 2.6 mg/dm², against a limit of 10 mg/dm² (74% below the limit). This is a test to the Chinese GB standard, not an FDA or EU approval.
US FDA: registration is not approval
- What the FDA does: it regulates substances that contact food under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations and authorizes new food-contact substances through food contact notifications.
- What the FDA does not do: it does not approve or certify finished bags, cups or containers. Food facility registration does not apply to food-contact materials, and a registered packaging plant has not had its products approved. A supplier that claims FDA approval for its packaging is misleading buyers.
- Our case: the facility that makes the Calix cups is registered with the FDA. We describe it only as a facility registration.
LFGB and the EU rules for paper cups
Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 is the EU framework for food-contact materials. The German LFGB applies those principles in German law through §§ 30 and 31, and Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 sets the migration limits for plastics, which laboratories apply to plastic layers such as the PE coating of a paper cup.
The manufacturer's paper cups used for Calix were tested by Guangdong SCS (report SCS240516A02BR) with passing results for overall migration, heavy metals, phthalates and vinyl chloride monomer. See the Calix spec sheet and the Calix certificates page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is overall migration testing in food packaging?
Overall migration testing measures the total amount of non-volatile substances that move from a packaging material into a food simulant, such as 10% ethanol, 3% acetic acid or vegetable oil, under a defined temperature and time. The result is compared with the legal limit for that material.
How does GB 4806.13-2023 apply to ProThermo™ bags?
GB 4806.13-2023 is China's national standard for composite food-contact materials. ProThermo™ was tested by Fangyuan Test (accredited CNAS / ILAC-MRA (ISO/IEC 17025)), report 2513406917. Overall migration was 2.6 mg/dm² after 70°C for 2 hours, against a limit of 10 mg/dm².
What is the difference between German LFGB and EU Regulation 1935/2004?
Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 is the EU framework: food-contact materials must not endanger health or cause an unacceptable change in the food. LFGB is the German food and consumer goods code; its §§ 30 and 31 apply those principles in German law. Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 sets migration limits for plastic materials, which laboratories apply to plastic layers such as the PE coating of a paper cup.
Does the US FDA approve or certify food packaging?
No. The FDA authorizes food-contact substances through its regulations in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations and through food contact notifications, but it does not approve or certify finished bags, cups or containers. FDA food facility registration does not apply to food-contact materials; when a packaging plant is registered, that registration is not an approval of its products.
Has Calix Eco been tested?
Calix Eco, a version with a water-based (PE-free) barrier, is in development. Its specifications and test results will be published when it is available.
Need the test reports for your compliance team?
Our certificates page lists every report we reference, with its laboratory and report number.