Upon the entry into force of the PPWR Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste), packaging producers will be required, from 12 August 2026, to draw up a declaration of conformity in accordance with Article 39. This declaration must demonstrate that the requirements set out in Articles 5 to 12 have been met or confirmed.
Article 5(5) sets out specific limit values for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in packaging materials that come into contact with food, and defines a three-tier limit value system:Der Artikel 5 Absatz 5 enthält dabei konkrete Grenzwerte für per- und polyfluorierte Alkylsubstanzen (PFAS) in Verpackungsmaterialien, die mit Lebensmitteln in Berührung kommen, und definiert ein dreistufiges Grenzwertsystem:
- 25 ppb for individual PFAS (analysed specifically),
- 250 ppb for the total of these substances, as well as
- 50 ppm for the total PFAS content, including polymeric compounds (determined by the total fluorine content)
When drawing up the declaration of conformity, the PPWR requires that a conformity assessment procedure in accordance with Annex VII be carried out. This procedure is supported by technical documentation. This must include an “adequate analysis and assessment of the risks of non-conformity” and may, where necessary, be supplemented by test reports or similar evidence (Annex VII, Article 2).
If it can be demonstrated throughout the supply chain that the raw materials used do not contain any PFAS and that these cannot enter the product during production, analytical testing may be dispensed with, subject to an appropriate risk assessment.
However, if there is no definitive confirmation (e.g. because information is missing), it is advisable to carry out appropriate tests or plausibility checks to ensure that the packaging material is free from PFAS.
It can be assumed that most plastic film packaging, particularly that made from PE and PP, contains PFAS. (Karsten Schröder)
In a set of guidelines on the PPWR Regulation announced by the European Commission at the end of 2025, the following analysis strategy is proposed:
- Determination of total fluorine content (TF): Provided that the TF is below 50 ppm, the material shall be considered compliant; no further analysis is required.
- If the total fluorine content exceeds 50 ppm, a distinction must be made between organic fluorine (TOF) and inorganic fluorine (TIF). If the organic fluorine content is below 50 ppm, the material is to be regarded as compliant. If the content exceeds 50 ppm, the material would ultimately be deemed non-compliant. Further analyses to verify compliance with the limit values set out in Article 5(5)(a) and (b) would be possible; however, as the material has already been assessed as non-compliant, this is neither mandatory nor recommended.
To meet these requirements, the Innoform Testing Service has been offering tests for the total fluorine content and the organic fluorine content (both as subcontracted services) since early 2025.
Due to increased demand, the Innoform Test Service has begun to introduce its own in-house analytical method. Using Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC), the total fluorine content is determined in accordance with DIN EN 17813 using oxidative pyrohydrolytic combustion, followed by ion chromatography, which is ideally suited to ensuring compliance with the limit value of 50 ppm.& nbsp;Aufgrund der verstärkten Nachfrage hat der Innoform Testservice begonnen, eine eigene, interne Analysenmethode einzuführen. Mittels Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC) erfolgt auf Basis der DIN EN 17813 die Bestimmung des Gesamtfluorgehalts mittels oxidativer pyrohydrolytischer Verbrennung, gefolgt von einer Ionenchromatographie, welche optimal geeignet ist, die Einhaltung des Grenzwerts von 50 ppm sicherzustellen.
