Technical guidelines on testing the migration of primary aromatic amines from polyamide kitchenware and of formaldehyde from melamine kitchenware

Comparability of results is an important feature of the measurements carried out for official controls purposes. In the area of food contact materials and articles comparability of results is dependent on the availability of samples representative of a consignment, the type of exposure and the test conditions used as well as on the performance of the method of analysis. These guidelines contain practical information on sampling, migration testing and methodologies for the analytical determination of primary aromatic amines and of formaldehyde. These guidelines were developed specifically in the context of the Regulation (EU) No 284/2011 laying down specific conditions and detailed procedures for the import of polyamide and melamine plastic kitchenware originating in or consigned from [the] People's Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. These guidelines have been prepared by the European Union Reference Laboratory in collaboration with its EU official Network of National Reference Laboratories and have been endorsed by the European Commission competent service DG Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) and its network of Member State Competent Authorities. They are primarily addressed to official control laboratories, national reference laboratories and third party laboratories. The sampling strategy is addressed to the points of first introduction of import goods in the EU.