Comparison of the test conditions of China and the Council of Europe on the release levels of metals from stainless-steel products from the Chinese market

Abstract

Stainless-steel products are widely used for food contact, but the metals released may pose potential adverse health effects for consumers. The metal release test conditions varied by country and organization. To explore the metal release levels of stainless-steel products in China and to compare the test conditions based on the guidelines of China and the Council of Europe (CoE), the release levels of 17 metal elements from 105 stainless-steel products from the Chinese market were determined using the metal release test conditions stipulated by China and CoE, respectively. No significant differences were observed on the release levels of most metal elements using the test conditions of China and CoE except for martensitic samples. However, most martensitic products were intended to use at low temperatures and for a short time. Therefore, the test condition of CoE was conservative enough for the metal release tests for stainless-steel products from the Chinese market.