MERCOSUR Adds to its Positive List of Substances Authorized for Use in Food-Contact Plastics
On December 4, 2024, the MERCOSUR Grupo Mercado Común (GMC) published GMC Res 28/24, which amends GMC Res 02/12 “MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on the positive list of monomers, other starting substances and polymers authorized for the manufacturing of plastic packaging and equipment in contact with food.” More specifically, this new resolution amends the GMC Res 02/12 positive list to include:
- Tetramethyl bisphenol F diglycidyl ether (TMBPF-DGE) for use in dispersions of macromolecular substances in water used in can coating for beverages; and
- Polyamide-imide 2 (PAI-2) for use as a binding agent for producing high temperature resistant coatings on kitchen utensils.
Other restrictions for the two newly listed substances are also specified in GMC Res 28/24. This resolution will now need to be incorporated into the national legislation of each MERCOSUR member state, namely Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.
GMC Res 02/12 was previously amended in October 2021 by GMC Res 19/21. For more information on GMC Res 02/12 and MERCOSUR food packaging regulations, see the PL.com article, Update: Food Packaging Regulations in Latin America.