Guidance on Best Practices on the Risk Assessment of Non Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) in Food Contact Materials and Articles

<em>Non Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) are unexpected and potentially harmful substances that may migrate from packaging materials to food products. This report is intended to describe in a practical manner what NIAS are and how risk assessment principles can be applied. This report was reviewed by 50 key stakeholders in a workshop hosted in Brussels, on 2-4 April 2014.</em> During the life cycle of food contact materials, unexpected and potentially harmful substances may migrate from packaging materials to food products. According to the legislation, NIAS have to be assessed using scientifically recognised principles of risk assessment. However, a clear description of what NIAS are and how the risk assessment should be performed for the many different types of NIAS that exist is missing. The report ‘Guidance on best practices on the risk assessment of Non-Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) in food contact materials and articles’ is intended to describe in a practical manner what NIAS are and how risk assessment principles can be applied to NIAS based on best-practices and using the latest scientific developments in risk assessment. This document was reviewed in a stakeholder workshop hosted in Brussels, on 2-4 April 2014. About 50 key stakeholders from industry, the European authority and control laboratories involved in the risk assessment of NIAS discussed the best approach(es) to evaluate NIAS. This guidance document/toolbox is mainly intended for scientists involved in the evaluation of NIAS (analytical scientists, toxicologists, risk assessors from industry and academia, control labs), supply chain, the food industry and consumers organisations around the world. Additionally, the guidance document aims to be an ideal tool for young scientists involved in the safety assessment of NIAS.