safe plastic for food packaging

zig

Hi, im just wondering does anyone here have any experience with food packaging and the types of plastics that are considered safe. I am trying to search through google but its not that easy when you dont know exactly what the plastic your using is.
I bought rolls in a stationary shop, and I am making bags out of the sheets of plastic, I am pretty sure the plastic is cellophane, as it has the texture and feel of standard cellophane plastic you see for other food products, but there is no code or information on the rolls.
I understand in the long run I will probably have to have this dealt with through the environment health office more formally but for now I am just gathering information and want to try and make the product to see it is cost effective, it would suit me to use this plastic in the long run, but even just making samples I obviously dont want to go poisoning people!!!

If anyone has any advice it would be great, cheers.

YellowSheep

Hi Zig

What type of food do you want to pack? Oliver

zig

Nuts, peanuts,etc
Is there a big difference depending on your food?
Thanks

YellowSheep

No there isn't. Your best bet are pet or c-pet containers. There is a company on the Naas Road in Dublin (Fox & Geese Building) and they have any material, even small quantities, you would ever need for packaging. Cheers Oliver

zig

Thanks for the help Oliver, ill get in touch with them, they might know the exact one I should be using. Do they supply rolls of plastic on its own as well? Its just my bags arent really a standard shape so it seems cheaper/more practical right now to make them myself.
Ive looked up cpet and theres a bit of info there, I've to go back on what I said cause I noticed theres a big '1' printed on the label of my plastic roll, just presumed it had no significance (theres no recycle symbol around it or anything). Not sure if that means anything.
Anyway thanks again

Voltex

With plastics intended for contact with food, its probably best practice to go with a company already supply similiar products to the food industry.
Usually we would be looking for BRC/IOP certification for the manufactering site along with results of migration tests and certs for the absence of/presence of heavy metals.
By the very limited information you are providing, maybe polypropylene would work. PET/r-PET would usually be the thermoformed products.

Voltex

...forgot to add zeus packaging in rathcoole do just about everything.

zig

Hi Voltex,
Cheers for the info, I appreciate it. Ill look out for those types of certs, I managed to get onto the company that supply the rolls I bought and they told me they didnt have a cert (I bought the rolls in a stationary shop to be fair).
Im waiting on another cellophane supplier in Dublin to get back to me to let me know if they can get the certs for their stuff but in the mean time ive have a look at Zeus.
Cheers