ROME, ITALY / EuroWire / — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on May 13 called for robust, science-based risk assessment of recycled plastic used in food packaging, saying the shift toward more sustainable materials must be matched by stronger safeguards on chemical safety. In a new report titled “Food safety implications of recycled plastics and alternative food contact materials,” FAO said recycled packaging can help cut waste and support environmental goals, but it can also introduce contaminants that may migrate into food if controls are inadequate.
FAO said the report comes as the global food packaging market expands, with industry value estimated at $505.27 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $815.51 billion by 2030. It said demand is being driven by higher consumption of snacks, ready-made meals, fast food, confectionery and bottled beverages. Food contact materials, including packaging, utensils, processing equipment and transport containers, play a central role in preserving quality, extending shelf life and helping reduce food loss and waste across agrifood systems.
At the same time, FAO said the heavy reliance on plastic based food contact materials has added to a wider plastic waste problem, prompting greater interest in recycled content. Less than 10 percent of plastic waste generated globally has been recycled so far, according to the report. FAO said environmental goals should advance alongside public health protections, warning that recycled plastics may carry chemical residues from earlier use, collection streams or other sources if they are not properly sorted, cleaned and assessed for food use.
Chemical and testing gaps
The report also highlighted risks linked to alternative materials promoted as substitutes for conventional plastics. Bio-based food contact materials made from feedstocks such as corn, sugarcane and cassava may introduce hazards including pesticide residues, natural toxins or allergens, FAO said. It also flagged intentionally added substances such as nanomaterials, which are used to improve performance or enable active packaging functions. Those factors, the report said, require tailored risk assessment rather than assuming that newer or renewable materials are automatically safer for food applications.
FAO said public and regulatory concern is also rising around microplastics and nanoplastics in food and beverages, but noted that validated analytical methods remain limited. Without reliable methods to detect, characterize and quantify those particles, regulators face constraints in determining exposure and assessing health risks consistently. The organization said timely food safety evaluation is essential both to protect consumers and to support innovation, and it called for regulatory approaches that keep pace with the rapid development of recycled and alternative packaging materials.
FAO calls for standards and trade clarity
A major finding in the report was the lack of harmonized international rules for recycled food contact materials. FAO said differences in national approaches can complicate oversight and create trade frictions as more countries and manufacturers incorporate recycled content into packaging. The findings are expected to feed into discussions at the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food standards body established by FAO and the World Health Organization. In earlier Codex consultations, many countries said they had no specific requirements for recycled materials in food packaging, while some existing measures focused mainly on recycled PET beverage bottles.
FAO said more consistent global standards would support science based risk assessment and help ensure that recycled plastics used in food packaging are safe for consumers and compatible with fair trade. The report does not reject recycled packaging, but says its use in food contact materials must be supported by stronger assessment, better regulatory alignment and reliable testing tools. By linking packaging sustainability with food safety requirements, FAO and Codex have moved the issue further into the center of international standards discussions on recycled and alternative food contact materials.