Requirements for compliance of recycled PET intended for food-contact applications are becoming increasingly stringent. With the introduction of Regulation (EU) 1616/2022 and the forthcoming PPWR, the European Union has raised expectations for PET recycling processes intended for food-contact use. In this context, Erema reports that its Vacurema Basic and Vacurema Advanced technologies, as well as Vacunite, received positive opinions from EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) in accordance with Regulation (EU) 1616/2022. According to the company, recycled PET remains an important element of sustainable packaging strategies across Europe, and evolving regulatory frameworks increase pressure to deliver high-quality output while meeting requirements for food-contact applications.
Regulation (EU) 1616/2022 introduces more stringent requirements for decontamination efficiency and process validation. As Erema notes, previous approvals under Regulation (EC) 282/2008 remain valid, but the new framework sets higher expectations for rPET used in food packaging. The company links these requirements to planned changes under the PPWR, including a target of 30% recycled content in contact-sensitive PET packaging by 2030.
„The updated requirements set stricter standards for the quality of recycled PET and require comprehensive validation to demonstrate compliance. Therefore, it was clear to us that we wanted our PET recycling technologies to be validated under the 1616/2022 regulation, even though confirmation under the 282/2008 regulation remains valid”, says Laura Probst, Process Engineer for Food Safety at Erema. The company states that recently conducted challenge tests confirmed the decontamination performance of the Vacurema systems and revealed optimisation of selected process parameters.
EFSA opinions for Vacurema and Vacunite technology
Erema reports that it transferred and expanded solutions previously validated under Regulation (EC) 282/2008 to the requirements of Regulation (EU) 1616/2022. According to the company, EFSA issued positive opinions, based on Regulation (EU) 1616/2022, for the following PET recycling technologies:
- Vacurema Basic, with separate opinions for bottle applications and for sheet production.
- Vacurema Advanced, featuring a second reactor with a crystallisation dryer intended for additional IV build-up.
- Vacunite, combining Vacurema technology with vacuum-assisted solid state polycondensation (SSP) under nitrogen to achieve IV stability and colour performance.
The company indicates that, thanks to SafeFlake vacuum pretreatment and EcoGentle plasticising technology, the systems provide consistent output quality. As stated by Erema, the result is reliable decontamination, stable intrinsic viscosity (IV) and reduced thermal stress, factors relevant to food-grade compliance. Erema also notes that separating bottle and sheet applications into dedicated opinions is intended to facilitate implementation for customers in PET sheet production. „– This distinction provides clarity and reduces complexity for companies involved in the production of PET sheet”, explains Laura Probst.
"It was clear to us that we wanted our PET recycling technologies to be validated under regulation 1616/2022, even though confirmation under the 282/2008 regulation remains valid. Our priority was to demonstrate compliance under realistic production conditions, so customers can be confident that the process meets the strictest food-contact standards." Laura Probst, Process Engineer for Food Safety at Erema.
Challenge tests and validation under near-real conditions
To secure the confirmation, Erema carried out extensive challenge tests in collaboration with an independent institute. These tests are intended to simulate worst-case scenarios by deliberately contaminating PET flakes with a defined cocktail of chemicals. The material is then processed on the Vacurema or Vacunite systems, and samples of input material, melt and granulate are analysed to calculate decontamination performance.
"Planning these tests is a complex task," explains Laura Probst. "We define contamination levels, sampling points, and process parameters to reflect real-world production. Every detail matters because EFSA requires full traceability and proof of decontamination efficiency." Erema states that the results confirmed high cleaning performance and process stability experienced by customers in practice. "Our priority was to demonstrate compliance under realistic production conditions, so customers can be confident that the process meets the strictest food-contact standards," adds Laura Probst.
The company notes that all opinions were submitted by Erema, which is intended to mean that the technology itself is validated and can now be licensed by customers globally. As a result, according to Erema, customers operating approved Vacurema or Vacunite systems can produce food-safe rPET without additional validation steps.
PPWR outlook
Erema indicates that securing compliance with Regulation (EU) 1616/2022 is intended to prepare its customers for future PPWR requirements, including the 30% recycled content target in contact-sensitive PET packaging by 2030. The company concludes that the technologies combine regulatory compliance, energy efficiency and process stability.
