SGS is introducing a brand-new service to assist producers and suppliers of food contact materials who are looking to obtain regulatory approval for the US and Canadian markets.
Food contact substances are subject to stringent safety standards and need to undergo a rigorous authorisation process in many markets before being allowed to be used in the manufacturing of food contact materials.
The authorisation process, which typically takes between six months and two years to complete, involves complex procedures and specialised expertise that many manufacturers may lack internally.
In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers the Food Contact Notification (FCN) pathway,
a preferred route due to its two key advantages:
- proprietary approval
- a relatively fast process once the notification is submitted.
In Canada, while regulatory authorisation is only mandatory for specific applications – such as food contact substances used in infant formula packaging and certain novel processes – it is common practice to seek a voluntary letter of no objection (LONO) from Health Canada to demonstrate compliance.
SGS’s new regulatory submission service simplifies and accelerates the approval process for both FCN and LONO applications.
SGS said partnering with it helps integrate expert preparation of regulatory dossiers with advanced migration testing.
Beyond FCN and LONO submissions, this service has the potential to expand into additional markets, providing a truly comprehensive, one-stop solution for optimising authorisation processes.
