ISO Has Published an Updated Version of ISO 4531 for Food Contact Vitreous and Porcelain Enamels
Vol. 1303 | 18 May 2022
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published ISO 4531:2022 for food contact enameled articles. This updated version replaces the 2018 version and is effective immediately.
ISO 4531 defines test methods and specifies limits for the release of metal-ions from enameled articles which are intended to be used during the preparation, cooking, serving and storage of food.
The 2022 version has several key updates compared with the 2018 edition:
- The migration limit for aluminum has been reduced from 5,000 µg/l to 1,000 µg/l
- The standard now requires that the three consecutive release tests must be performed on the same day, using the same sample, with a fresh test solution per test
- Test reports must include any relevant information related to uncertainty of measurement and any deviations from the procedure
The migration limits for 16 heavy metals are shown in the table below:
Element (Symbol) | Release Limit (µg/l) |
Aluminum (Al) | 1,000 |
Silver (Ag) | 80 |
Arsenic (As) | 2 |
Barium (Ba) | 1,200 |
Cadmium (Cd) | 5 |
Cobalt (Co) | 100 |
Chromium (Cr) | 250 |
Copper (Cu) | 4,000 |
Lithium (Li) | 480 |
Manganese (Mn) | 1,800 |
Molybdenum (Mo) | 120 |
Nickel (Ni) | 140 |
Lead (Pb) | 10 |
Antimony (Sb) | 40 |
Vanadium (V) | 10 |
Zinc (Zn) | 5,000 |
With decades of experience, Intertek can provide manufacturing and distribution support to companies with food contact materials (FCMs) according to local, regional, and international food contact regulations.
For questions, please contact Rob Burton (ron.burton@intertek.com, +852 3760 6339)