THE NEW MOCA REGULATION ON PLASTICS

18 March 2019

MOCA regulation: materials and objects in contact with foodstuffs.

Can thermoplastic gears and foodstuffs come into contact with one another while guaranteeing a high level of protection for human health? In order to answer this question it is necessary to be aware of the reference regulation and to understand the MOCA concept. 

MOCA – Materials and Objects in Contact with Foodstuffs – are all the materials and objects that are intended to come into contact, directly or indirectly, with foodstuffs, according to a foreseeable use. Here are some simple examples: – food packaging; – all household and related products (pans, plates, cutlery, glasses); – hygienic protection devices (e.g. work clothes for Food industry, butcher gloves, etc.); – machines and equipment for processing and distribution (coffee machines, plant production lines, etc.); – wood; – paper and cardboard (e.g. cardboard for pizza); – polymer granules intended for manufacturing MOCA. 

The MOCA regulation: all the news.

In order to guarantee the safety of materials in contact with foodstuffs and protect the health of final consumers, MOCA is governed by European regulations, that must be followed by all manufacturers, integrated with the national legislation of each Member State if there are no specific EU standards:

• Regulation (EC) no. 1935/2004, known as the framework regulation, which provides the basic principles of material compliance and aims to guarantee the effective functioning of the internal market with regard to the inclusion of MOCA on the EU market.
• Regulation (EC) no. 2023/2006 which establishes the rules relating to the good manufacturing practices (GMP) of MOCA and applies to all sectors and to all stages of production, processing and distribution of these objects.
• Regulation (EU) no. 10/2011 (also called “PIM Regulation” Plastic Implementation Measure) which defines specific standards (migration limits, declaration of conformity, list of authorized substances) for plastic materials and objects intended to come into contact with food products.
• Legislative Decree 29/2017 that governs the sanctions (ranging from a minimum of € 1.500 to a maximum of € 80.000 for the violation of MOCA regulation provisions).

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Thermoplastic gears and foodstuffs.

Our company represents a reference point for the design and production of technical components in contact with foodstuffs, where the technopolymer gear perfectly meets the needs of hygiene and cleaning, following 100% of the MOCA regulation requirements. The catalog presents an entire line (blue range) which includes cylindrical gears from module 0.5 to module 4 and bevel gears with 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 ratios. The technopolymer and the master used for the production of these gears are suitable and certified for use that involves contact with foodstuffs. The blue color was chosen in order to be easily “detectable” for a quick identification of possible traces.

Contact us for more information.