Migration of formaldehyde from 'biobased' bamboo/melamine cups: A Dutch retail survey

Bamboo/melamine cups had become popular, due to their ecofriendly and sustainable image. Some cups are marketed as biobased and biodegradable. These cups are made from melamine-formaldehyde resin to which bamboo fibers or powder are added. They may release formaldehyde and melamine into the beverage. In 2019 the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority conducted a market study. 46 cups were sampled in duplicate and tested for formaldehyde migration. 88% of the cups complied with the migration limit of 15 mg/kg. Some cups showed very high migration values, over 200 mg/kg. There is a high exposure of formaldehyde from other sources (food, environment). When applying a realistic worst-case scenario of a daily intake of 0.4 L of beverage from the cups, the health based guidance value is exceeded at a migration of 19 mg/kg and higher. For some of the cups that had a high migration of formaldehyde, health risks may occur. For food-utensils for babies and young children, the exposure is higher due to their lower body weight. The SML does not provide sufficient protection for babies and young children. Bamboo is not authorized in the EU as additive for plastic food contact materials. Therefore the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and other EU member states have actively banned these products from the market. Finally, bamboo/melamine tableware would suggest having a 'green' image and would contribute to the goals of the circular economy to use biobased raw materials, but by using it in combination with melamine-formaldehyde resin may affect food safety.