EFSA Safety assessment of the process Green PET Recycling, based on the Starlinger iV+ technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Green PET Recycling (EU register number RECYC277), which uses the Starlinger iV+ technology. 

The input is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes, with no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The drying and crystallisation, extrusion and crystallisation (step 3) and SSP (step 4) steps are critical in determining the decontamination efficiency of the process. 

The operating parameters to control the performance of these critical steps are temperature, air/PET ratio and residence time. The Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from this process is not of safety concern when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, including drinking water.