BVL B 80.30 Testing of Consumer Products - Plastics

The "BVL B 80.30 Testing of consumer products - Plastics" standard, developed by the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), describes a procedure for inspecting plastic products intended for contact with food.

BVL standards focus on testing for migration from food contact materials, particularly plastics. Migration occurs when chemicals from packaging or products move into food and potentially pose health risks.

These standards are primarily based on EU Council Directive 85/572/EEC, which specifies simulators that mimic different types of food to test how substances migrate through plastics under various conditions.

Food packaging, kitchenware, containers and other products made of plastic must not release substances harmful to food. EU regulations (EC) 1935/2004 and (EU) 10/2011 establish general and specific migration limits. Tests use food simulators (liquids simulating watery, acidic, alcoholic, oily or dry foods) instead of real food for reproducible results.

Common simulators listed in Directive 85/572/EEC include:

Distilled water or 10% ethanol (for liquid foods)
3% acetic acid (for acidic foods)
Olive oil or alternative oil simulators (for fatty foods)
Others for special cases

BVL B 80.30-2(EG), by directly adopting the annex to this directive, lists these simulators for official testing in Germany.

Although Directive 85/572/EEC continues to be referenced in older standards, modern EU testing of plastics for food contact materials primarily uses EU Regulation 10/2011, which updates the simulator lists (e.g., replacing oil with 95% ethanol in some cases) and test conditions. Such BVL standards ensure national alignment with EU rules for official controls and conformity verification.

These standards guide laboratories, manufacturers, and regulators in ensuring that everyday products such as plastic packaging, bottles, or kitchenware are safe for consumers.

The BVL B 80-30 standard is part of a broader testing and conformity framework designed to ensure that plastic polymers and products used in food packaging, cookware, containers, and other food contact applications are safe for human health and meet regulatory requirements.

The BVL B 80-30 series of standards contains technical rules and methods for migration testing, which is central to determining whether a plastic releases chemicals into food under normal use. Key sections deal with the following:

BVL B 80.30-1(EG): Contains the basic rules for determining migration in consumer goods intended for contact with food.
BVL B 80.30-2(EG): Provides a list of simulator solvents (food simulators) used for migration testing on plastic materials and products.
BVL B 80.30-8 Test methods for general migration to aqueous food simulators using a cell.

Other sections define test conditions depending on the type of food or simulator (e.g., fatty foods).

These methods reflect European standards (such as EN 1186) for measuring how much of a substance can migrate from a plastic surface into food under specific test conditions.

Plastics that come into contact with food must not release harmful substances into the food in amounts that could affect health, taste, or composition. This is a fundamental principle of European and German food contact laws.

EU Framework Regulation 1935/2004 sets out a general safety requirement that materials must be sufficiently inert so as not to transfer their components into food in harmful amounts.
EU Plastics Regulation 10/2011 specifically regulates plastics and sets tests and limits to ensure their safe use.

Migration tests, such as those specified in the BVL B 80-30 standard series, simulate contact with different foods using standardized food simulators (liquids mimicking water-based, acidic, or oily foods) and measure how much material migrates from the plastic at controlled temperatures and durations. These tests ensure that a material does not exceed general migration limits or specific migration limits for particular substances.

Today, BVL B 80-30 standards largely function as methodological references for laboratories and manufacturers. They are linked to broader application and compliance frameworks:

In Germany, BVL and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) use these and other standards to support compliance testing for food contact materials.
In the European Union, manufacturers are required to submit a declaration of conformity (DoC) stating that their plastic products meet the requirements of EU law (including relevant testing methods).
National documents such as BVL B 80-30 often refer to older EU directives (e.g., Directive 2002/72/EC before it was amended by Regulation 10/2011), but are still useful for understanding test design and procedures.

The important point is that the BVL B 80-30 standard is not a material class, but a standardized method for measuring and proving material safety. This is part of ensuring that plastics are truly safe for food applications. Conformity is ensured through proper testing and documentation.

In conclusion, the BVL B 80.30 standard plays a crucial role in protecting food safety by standardizing how to test for potential chemical transfer from plastics. This standard is a fundamental aspect of European Union and German food contact regulations.

For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its clients, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services in accordance with the "BVL B 80.30 Testing of consumer goods - Plastics" standard.