Article 15 and Annex IV of Regulation (EU) 10/2011 require a written declaration for plastic materials and articles; it is issued by the business operator and must allow the material to be identified easily. Compare the declaration with what you bought, line by line:
| In the declaration | Your check |
|---|---|
| Material and article identity | Does it match your container, lid and gasket |
| Issuing and manufacturing business | Are name and address given |
| Date | Record the date and version of the declaration |
| Food types it may contact | Does it cover your product |
| Contact time and temperature | Does it cover your filling, storage and washing conditions |
| Surface-to-volume ratio | Does it suit the volume you use |
Where a multi-layer material relies on a functional barrier, the declaration confirms that separately. It has to be renewed when a substantial change in composition or production alters migration, or when new scientific data become available (Article 15(3)), so an old declaration is read for whether it is still current. The test and calculation records behind it are held by the issuing business and made available to the authorities on request (Article 16).
