Food contact surfaces must be free from physical, chemical, and biological contaminants that would adulterate or otherwise cause the food to be unsafe. They also must be designed to prevent cross-contamination between raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods. Food contact surfaces should also be durable and easy to clean.
Food Contact Surfaces Must Be Smooth and Easily Cleaned.
Food contact surfaces must be smooth and easily cleaned. Food contact surfaces are the parts of a food processing facility that meet food products, such as utensils and cutting boards. These surfaces can harbor bacteria that can contaminate food products, so it is important to always keep them clean.
Food contact surfaces must be smooth and easily cleaned. In fact, the FDA has strict standards for the materials used to manufacture food processing equipment and utensils. These materials must be non-toxic and have no effect on flavor, odor, or appearance of the food product.
The FDA requires that all food processing equipment be designed so that it can withstand daily cleaning without becoming damaged or worn out. This means that any plastic parts used in food processing equipment should never be painted with a coating that is not approved by the FDA for use in direct contact with food products (such as paint).
Many people are concerned about whether their plastic containers may expose them to harmful chemicals called bisphenols (BPA). Although this concern is understandable, there is currently no evidence that BPA poses any risk to human health when ingested at low levels from normal use of consumer products containing BPA (e.g., plastic bottles).
Food Contact Surfaces Must Be Non-Toxic.
Food contact surfaces must be non-toxic. This means that they must be safe for human consumption. Non-toxic materials include plastic, glass, and ceramic. Materials that are often used in food packaging are not permitted to meet food. This is because they may leach chemicals into the food or absorb liquids from the food and then release them later. For example, aluminum foil has been banned as a coating on cans containing acidic foods such as tomatoes because it can leach aluminum ions into the food over time.
Food contact surfaces must be smooth and easily cleanable. The surface should be smooth so that dirt does not stick to it but can be easily cleaned off with soap and water; this includes sides of containers, lids and tops of cans, bottles, and jars. Food contamination can occur if these surfaces contain grooves or nooks where bacteria could hide out (like on old wooden shelves).
Food contact surfaces must have no cracks or crevices where bacteria could hide out (like on old wooden shelves).
Microbial Growth Must Be Controlled.
Food contact surfaces must be able to withstand the rigors of repeated cleaning and sanitization, including exposure to high temperatures and chemical agents. The surface must not react with or chemically degrade any foods, food ingredients or food packaging materials with which it comes into contact.
The surface must also be free from microorganisms that can cause illness in humans, such as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.
Microbial growth must be controlled. Food contact surfaces must not support the growth of microorganisms at levels that create an unacceptable risk to human health.
Food Contact Surfaces Should Not Contaminate the Food.
Food contact surfaces should not contaminate the food. This means that they should be able to withstand cleaning and sanitizing, and they should not degrade over time. Food contact surfaces must be made from materials that can be cleaned and sanitized.
Food contact surfaces must also be safe for human consumption. When people eat food on a plate, they may think that the plate is clean and safe because it has been washed in soap and water, but if there are any harmful chemicals left behind on that plate, then it could make people sick. Therefore, manufacturers use chemicals like chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria when they make their products.
The third characteristic of a food contact surface is that it needs to stay clean for as long as possible so that it can be reused multiple times before being thrown out or recycled. There are many different types of chemicals used in manufacturing so that food contact surfaces can stay clean longer than just soap and water alone
Toxic Substances Should Not Leach from The Surface.
Food contact surfaces are the parts of the packaging (e.g., caps, lids, labels) that meet food or beverages during consumption.
They must be safe for human consumption and compliant with applicable laws and regulations.
To be considered safe for food contact, materials must meet specific requirements concerning:
- Chemical resistance
- It is not possible to determine whether a substance will be suitable for use as a food contact material based on its chemical structure alone. It is important to understand how a material will react with food under real-world conditions.
- This knowledge can be gained by performing appropriate tests on samples or by conducting studies on full-scale batches of products containing the material in question.
- Toxic substances should not leach from the surface. There are several tests available to confirm this requirement (see below).
Conclusion
In conclusion, all the requirements for food contact surfaces were derived from a scientific basis. These requirements are not considered to be restrictions but rather a detailed guide to help ensure the safe production and quality of food. By following these already established guidelines, companies can ensure that any raw materials and products meet the standards set forth by FDA regulations. These regulations help ensure public health by producing safe products and companies, who follow these standards, produce safe foods that follow the Food Code.
