Overall Migration Testing for Food Contact Materials

Overall migration testing is used to measure the total amount of non-volatile substances that migrate from a food contact material into a food simulant under specified test conditions. The test helps verify that packaging, containers, utensils, and other food contact products do not release excessive amounts of substances that could affect food safety.

Overall migration testing is one of the most common laboratory tests performed on food contact materials (FCMs) and is widely required to demonstrate compliance with food safety regulations in many international markets.

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What is Overall Migration Testing?

Food contact materials contain various substances, including polymers, additives, stabilizers, colorants, and processing aids. Under normal conditions of use, small quantities of these substances may migrate into food.

Overall migration testing measures the total quantity of all non-volatile substances that migrate from the material, rather than identifying individual chemicals.

The objective is to verify that the overall migration remains within the maximum limits established by applicable regulations.

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Why Is Overall Migration Testing Important?

Migration of substances from packaging into food can affect food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance.

Overall migration testing helps manufacturers verify that food contact materials are suitable for their intended use.

Key benefits include:

• Demonstrates compliance with food contact regulations
• Helps protect consumer health
• Verifies packaging safety before market entry
• Supports product certification
• Reduces the risk of product recalls or regulatory actions
• Confirms packaging performance under intended use conditions

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Which Products Require Overall Migration Testing?

Overall migration testing may be required for many types of food contact materials, including:

• Plastic food containers
• Food storage boxes
• Bottles
• Cups
• Plates
• Cutlery
• Kitchen utensils
• Food processing equipment
• Packaging films
• Plastic wraps
• Disposable tableware
• Silicone kitchenware
• Food-grade coatings

The specific testing requirements depend on the material, intended food type, and applicable regulations.

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Applicable Standards and Regulations

Different markets have their own food contact requirements.

Some of the most commonly referenced regulations include:

Market	Regulation
European Union	Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011
European Union	Framework Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004
Germany	LFGB requirements
United States	FDA Food Contact Regulations (21 CFR)
China	GB 4806 series
International	ISO test methods where applicable

Manufacturers should determine the applicable regulatory requirements based on the destination market.

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How Overall Migration Testing Works

The laboratory simulates normal or worst-case conditions of food contact.

The process generally includes:

Sample Preparation

Representative samples are selected and prepared according to the applicable testing standard.

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Selection of Food Simulants

Because testing every food type is impractical, standardized food simulants are used to represent different categories of food.

Common simulants include:

Food Simulant	Represents
Ethanol solutions	Aqueous foods
Acetic acid	Acidic foods
Vegetable oil or substitutes	Fatty foods
Distilled water	Neutral foods

The chosen simulant depends on the intended application of the product.

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Exposure Conditions

Samples are exposed to the selected food simulant under specified conditions, including:

• Contact temperature
• Contact time
• Surface area
• Intended food type

These conditions are defined by the applicable regulation.

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Migration Measurement

After testing, the food simulant is analyzed to determine the total amount of non-volatile substances that migrated from the material.

The measured value is then compared with the regulatory migration limit.

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Overall Migration Limits

For many plastic food contact materials regulated under EU legislation, the overall migration limit is:

10 mg/dm² of food contact surface area

or

60 mg/kg of food, depending on the product and intended use.

Manufacturers should always refer to the applicable regulation because migration limits may differ by market and product category.

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Overall Migration vs Specific Migration Testing

Although often performed together, these tests evaluate different aspects of food safety.

Overall Migration Testing	Specific Migration Testing
Measures total migrated substances	Measures individual chemicals
Evaluates overall material safety	Evaluates specific restricted substances
General compliance assessment	Chemical-specific compliance
Widely required for food contact materials	Required when regulated substances are present

Specific migration testing may be required for substances with established migration limits, such as certain additives or monomers.

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Factors That Affect Migration Results

Several factors can influence migration performance, including:

• Material composition
• Type of polymer
• Food type
• Temperature
• Contact duration
• Surface area
• Fat content of food
• Manufacturing process

Testing should reflect the product’s intended conditions of use to ensure accurate compliance assessment.

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Best Practices for Compliance

Manufacturers can improve compliance by:

• Selecting food-grade raw materials
• Controlling manufacturing processes
• Maintaining supplier documentation
• Performing migration testing before mass production
• Reviewing regulatory requirements for target markets
• Keeping laboratory test reports up to date

Regular testing helps demonstrate continued compliance when formulations or manufacturing processes change.

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Overall migration testing is a fundamental part of food contact material compliance, helping verify that packaging and food-contact products meet applicable safety requirements before entering the market. Conducting migration testing according to recognized regulations and laboratory methods supports product safety, regulatory compliance, and confidence throughout the supply chain.

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Related Articles:

• LFGB Testing Explained
• PFAS in Food Packaging
• FDA Food Labeling Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions