Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a central pillar for ensuring the safety of food contact materials. Since 2009, the EuPIA GMP sets standards and assists in controlling food safety hazards in the design and manufacture of inks, varnishes and coatings designed to be printed onto FCM inks and formulated for use on either the non-food contact or the food contact surfaces of food packaging and articles intended to come into contact with food.

Products developed and manufactured in compliance with the GMP are supporting manufacturers of Food Contact Materials (FCM) in supplying products compliant with the applicable legislation in Europe for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, such as the Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and GMP Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006.

EuPIA is constantly working on improving its concepts and this also applies to the GMP, which is now available in its fifth version. Two expert groups – on chemical and operational management – have completely reworked and updated the guideline.

“It has been quite a journey as many aspects needed to be verified, but thanks to our members’ experts and their strong support, we are proud to have an up-to-date GMP that not only aligns it to the governing ISO standard but sets a milestone for an entire industry,” says Christof Walter, EuPIA food contact manager.

Major changes include:

• Modification of the EuPIA GMP structure to be in line with the current ISO9001:2015.

• Expanded geographical scope of the GMP to recognize that many EuPIA member companies implement GMP globally.

• Definition for a competent person, including their training requirements.

• References to relevant other EuPIA documents included, for example, migration guidelines, photoinitor suitability list, risk assessment for NIAS.

• Clarification of information included on raw material composition and on NIAS that the raw material may reasonably be expected to contain.