Safety assessment of the process EREMA VACUNITE (EREMA Vacurema Basic and Polymetrix SSP V‐LeaN) used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials (FCM) assessed the safety of the recycling process EREMA VACUNITE (EREMA Vacurema Basic and Polymetrix SSP V‐LeaN) (EU register number RECYC332). The input is hot caustic/surfactant‐washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post‐consumer PET containers, with no more than 5% PET from non‐food consumer applications. The flakes are first decontaminated in a ■■■■■ flake reactor under ■■■■■ (step 2), then extruded, pelletised and ■■■■■ (step 3). The ■■■■■ pellets are ■■■■■ (step 4) and submitted to solid‐state polycondensation (SSP) in a ■■■■■ reactor at ■■■■■ under ■■■■■ and ■■■■■ (step 5). Having examined the challenge tests provided, the Panel concluded that steps 2 and 5 are critical for determining the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters to control the performance of steps 2 and 5 are temperature, pressure and residence time as well as ■■■■■ for step 5. It was demonstrated that this recycling process ensures that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the conservatively modelled migration of 0.0481 or 0.0962 μg/kg food, depending on the molar mass of a contaminant substance. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from this process is not of safety concern, when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, including drinking water, for long‐term storage at room temperature or below, with or without hot‐fill. Articles made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used in microwave and conventional ovens and such uses are not covered by this evaluation.