EFSA has cleared silver nanoparticles as a surface biocide in food contact plastics at up to 0.025% concentration, but flagged that total dietary silver exposure from all sources may already exceed safe limits.
EFSA has published their Safety assessment of the substance silver nanoparticles for use in food contact materials
NIA Staff
1 min read
Summary
The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the additive silver nanoparticles intended to be used in plastics. All the silver particles were in the size range of 1–100 nm, with about 15 nm mean diameter and 99% by number of particles below 20 nm. The additive is intended to be used as a surface biocide at up to 0.025% w/w in non‐polar plastics for contact with a wide variety of foods, times, temperatures and food contact surface/mass of food ratios. The Panel concluded that the substance does not raise safety concern for the consumer if used as an additive at up to 0.025% w/w in polymers, such as polyolefins, polyesters and styrenics, that do not swell in contact with aqueous foods and food simulants. The Panel noted, however, that exposure to silver from other sources of dietary exposure may exceed the ADI set by ECHA.
