Scientific Opinion on the safety assessment of the process SOREPET GR+, based on Erema basic and Buhler technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials

Abstract

This scientific opinion of the EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety assessment of the recycling process SOREPET GR+ (EU register No RECYC074) which is based on Erema basic and Buhler technologies. The input to the process is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, mainly bottles, containing no more than 5 % PET from non-food consumer applications. In this process, washed and dried PET flakes are crystallised and heated to the decontamination temperature, the flakes are extruded into pellets, the pellets are crystallised and heated and are solid state polymerised in a continuous reactor. Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that the continuous decontamination (step 2), extrusion (step 3), crystallisation (step 4) and the solid state polymerisation (SSP) (step 5) are the critical steps that determine the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters to control its performance are temperature, pressure and residence time (step 2), temperature (step 3), temperature, pressure, gas flow and residence time (step 4), temperature, pressure, gas flow and residence time, (step 5). Under these conditions, it was demonstrated that the recycling process is able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the modelled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food. The Panel concluded that recycled PET obtained from the process, intended to be used up to 100 % for manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all type of foodstuffs for long term storage at room temperature, with or without hot fill, is not considered of safety concern.