Safety assessment of the process EREMA Vacurema Basic used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials (FCM) assessed the safety of the recycling process EREMA Vacurema Basic (EU register number RECYC 336). The input is washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes mainly originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, with below 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a continuous flake reactor (step 2) under vacuum before being extruded. Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that step 2 is critical in determining the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters to control the efficiency are the temperature, the pressure (vacuum) and the residence time. It was demonstrated that this recycling process ensures that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the conservatively modelled migration of 0.0481 or 0.0962 μg/kg food, depending on the molar mass of the contaminant substance. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from this process is not of safety concern, when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, including drinking water, and used for long-term storage at room temperature or below, with or without hot-fill. Articles made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used in microwave and conventional ovens and such uses are not covered by this evaluation.