Food Contact Materials

Gloves for contact with food

Gloves for contact with food must comply with the legislation on food contact materials as described in Framework Regulation (EC) no. 1935/2004. This regulation sets the general requirements to ensure that the gloves do not have a negative influence on the food and do not cause a threat to human health. Furthermore, gloves for contact with food must be manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice as described in Regulation (EC) no. 2023/2006.

In order to ensure that gloves are suitable for contact with food, they must be composed of substances that are suitable for the purpose and must comply with a set of test requirements to ensure that the gloves do not release harmful substances to the food with which they come into contact, deteriorating its quality.

Gloves can be made of either plastic or rubber. Gloves made of plastic must comply with Regulation (EU) no. 10/2011 as amended, which sets requirements on the chemical composition as well as on the test requirements the gloves must comply with. This includes overall migration according to the EN1186-series, as well as specific migration according to the EN13130, provided that the gloves contain substances restricted by specific migration limits. The Regulation furthermore describes which information should be given in a Declaration of Compliance to ensure that sufficient information on the gloves is passed on to the user.

For gloves made of rubber, no harmonized material specific legislation exists. However, countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands have national requirements on rubber products for contact with food. These national legislations can be used to prove compliance with the Framework Regulation (EC) no. 1935/2004.

The national legislations contain positive lists of substances that can be used for rubber gloves and set requirements on the test that should be conducted on the gloves.

Eurofins companies can help set up test plans for gloves, whether they are made of plastic or rubber, and can carry out the analysis in our own laboratories. We can furthermore help you to set up your Declaration of Compliance to ensure that sufficient and relevant information is passed on to the next part of the supply chain.