Migration

Also known as: migration, migration testing, overall migration, specific migration, OML, SML, food simulants

Migration is the transfer of substances from packaging into the food it touches; for food packaging it is limited by law and verified by testing.

Migration is the transfer of substances from a packaging material into the food it contacts. Additives, adhesive components, ink residues or unreacted monomers can migrate under certain conditions, so food contact rules set strict limits.

Overall and specific migration

Overall migration is the total amount of substances transferred; under EU Regulation 10/2011 the limit for plastics is 10 mg/dm² (or 60 mg/kg food in certain cases). Specific migration concerns individual substances, each of which may have its own limit (SML).

Testing

Instead of real food, labs use food simulants representing aqueous, acidic, alcoholic and fatty foods, applied at a time and temperature that reflect real use. Testing is normally done by accredited laboratories.

What increases migration

Fatty or alcoholic foods
High temperatures, such as hot filling or microwave heating
Long contact times
Incomplete adhesive curing or poor drying

Ask your converter for the migration report and Declaration of Compliance, and check that the simulants and conditions tested match your product and process.

Frequently asked

What are food simulants?

Standardised liquids or substances that mimic the behaviour of aqueous, acidic, alcoholic or fatty foods in migration tests.

Who is responsible for migration testing?

The packaging manufacturer must support compliance, typically with test data, while the food business must ensure the packaging suits its specific product and use.

Related terms

Food contact complianceFood contact compliance means showing, under the relevant rules, that packaging does not transfer substances to food in harmful or unacceptable amounts. EU Regulation 10/2011 (plastic food contact)EU Regulation 10/2011 governs plastic materials in contact with food, setting authorised substances, migration limits and testing rules. Residual solventResidual solvent is the amount of printing or laminating solvent left in packaging after drying; too much can cause odour and taint. Turkish food contact materials regulationTürkiye's food contact materials regulation sets safety, labelling and traceability rules for all materials, including packaging, that touch food. LaminationLamination is the process of bonding two or more films, foils or papers with adhesive to create a single multi-layer packaging material.

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