EU Amends Food Contact Material Rules
The European Commission has amended its regulations on substances used in food contact materials, including plastics. The update to regulation (EU 2026/245) signals a continued tightening of EU food safety and compliance standards. The change may indirectly affect packaging and certification requirements for specialty and organic rice exporters targeting the European market.
- The core of the new EU regulation for plastic food contact materials sets a general limit on the transfer of substances to food, known as the overall migration limit, at 10 milligrams per square decimeter of the material's surface. For specific substances, over 1,000 chemicals, including monomers and additives used in plastics, have their own specific migration limits. - Beyond the packaging itself, the EU enforces strict maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides on rice, with a default limit of 0.01 mg/kg for many substances unless a specific level is set. Regular monitoring through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has frequently identified non-compliance in rice imports due to excessive pesticide residues. - In a significant policy shift, India, the world's largest rice exporter, lifted its ban on the export of 100% broken rice in early March 2025, a move expected to increase global supply and put downward pressure on prices. Meanwhile, Vietnam anticipates exporting around 7.73 million tons of rice in 2026, with a focus on high-quality and fragrant varieties for 75% of this volume. - The European market for rice is projected to grow, with one forecast predicting it to reach USD 9.05 billion by 2031. This growth is largely driven by a rising consumer appetite for premium and specialty varieties like Jasmine and Basmati, which can command prices two to three times higher than conventional long-grain rice. - There is a growing demand for organic rice in Europe, with the market expected to expand by 12% annually. In 2021, Thailand was a significant supplier of organic rice to the EU, accounting for 9.6% of the total import volume, behind only Pakistan and India. - To export organic rice to the EU, Thai companies must adhere to Regulation (EU) 2018/848, which requires certification by a recognized control body. Each shipment must also be accompanied by an electronic certificate of inspection (e-COI) managed through the EU's TRACES system. - EU's General Food Law mandates traceability for all food and feed businesses, requiring operators to identify their immediate suppliers and customers ("one step back-one step forward"). This necessitates robust documentation, including supplier and customer details, product nature, and delivery dates, to allow for swift recalls of unsafe products. - Currency exchange rate forecasts for 2026 suggest a range for the Thai Baht against the Euro, with some predictions indicating the THB/EUR rate could be around 0.026 to 0.027 by the end of the year. Other analyses predict the EUR/THB exchange rate could fluctuate between approximately 38.6 and 40.2 by the end of 2026.
