Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about food safety. They’re also engaging more frequently with retailers and food companies about the safety of food packaging. Adhesives must have pre-market clearance if they are to be used in food packaging. Pre-market clearance typically involves using materials in adhesives that are listed in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The Food and Drug Administration also allows the use of materials in adhesives which are generally recognized as safe as demonstrated by published toxicological data, materials for which the FDA has granted prior sanction (pre-1958), and materials which are not expected to become a component of the diet. Additionally, a company may ask the FDA to review new adhesives under its Food Contact Notification Program. If the components of an adhesive do not meet the pre-market requirement(s) listed above and they migrate into the food contained in the packaging, FDA considers the food to be adulterated.