Taiwan Issues Clarification, and Proposes Changes, Regarding Labelling of Food Contact Articles

Vol. 857 | 02 Oct 2015

According to Article 26 of the Act Governing Food Sanitation, designated food utensils, containers and packaging shall clearly indicate in Chinese and common symbols the following information:

1. Product name;
2. Name of materials and thermal resistance temperature or, in the case of a mixture of two or more materials, each of the materials shall be indicated separately;
3. Net weight, volume or quantity;
4. Name, telephone number and address of the responsible domestic company;
5. Country of origin;
6. Manufacturing date, and the expiry date or the term of validity if the product has a limited duration of storage;
7. Precautions for use or microwavable and other warnings;
8. Other matters designated by the central competent authority in a public announcement.

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) published an Order to further explain the labelling of name of materials and thermal resistance temperature as follows:

1. For those plastic food utensils or containers that are reusable, the name of materials and thermal resistance temperature of the major components shall be printed, stamped or pressed on those major components.
2. For other food utensils, containers or packaging, which are not re-usable, labels shall be printed, stamped, pressed or marked on the package or object of the smallest unit of vending products.

In addition, two Bills have been issued to propose the following:

1. The scope of the above Act will be expanded to include all food utensils, containers and packaging that have a plastic material or surface which can directly come in to contact with food. Currently only certain types of plastic products are in scope, such as lunch-boxes, trays, bowls, plates, baby bottles, single-use food containers and plastic laminated disposable paper tableware.
2. Food utensils, containers and packaging, shall be marked with “供食品接觸用途” (meaning: for food contact use) or words with similar meaning.
3. Food utensils, containers and packaging with plastic food contact surfaces, should indicate whether they are for single-use only, or can be used repeatedly. One of the following 2 labels would be required: “供重複使用” (meaning: for repeated use) or “供一次使用” (meaning: for single use) or words with similar meaning.
4. Food utensils, containers and packaging with food contact surfaces containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), should be marked with the following warning: “勿與高油脂且高溫之食品直接接觸” (meaning: Do not contact with high-temperature fatty/oily food directly) or that with similar meaning.

 

For inquiries, please contact:

Rob Burton
852 2173 8655
rob.burton@intertek.com