Food contact chemicals (FCCs) are chemical substances used or present in materials and articles that come into contact with food during processing, packaging, storage, or consumption. Food contact materials include glass, plastic, aluminium, steel, paper, cardboard, adhesives, printing inks, and coatings. They are used in various food contact articles, e.g., food wrappers, glasses, mugs, bottles, coffee machines, conveyer belts, cutlery, or pots.
Examples of food contact chemicals include monomers, additives, pigments, and metals that are used in the manufacture of food contact materials, but also non-intentionally added substances such as contaminants, degradation products, and reaction side products. Commonly used monomers are styrene, terephthalic acid, mono ethylene glycol, ethylene, vinyl chloride, and bisphenols (e.g, Bisphenol A, or Bisphenol S). Additives include plasticizers like ortho-phthalates (e.g., DEHP, or DINP) or organophosphate esters (e.g., Triphenyl phosphate, Triethyl phosphate, 2-Ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate), PFAS (e.g., PFOA, PFOS, 6:5 FTOS) used as oil- and water repellant coating, synthetic phenolic antioxidants (e.g., butylated hydroxyanisole, , butylated hydroxytoluene), and UV stabilizers. Typical non-intentionally added substances include oligomers, degradation products of antioxidants, and primary aromatic amines.
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