Dossier – Non - intentionally added substances ( NIAS )

1 Definition of NIAS Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) are chemical compounds that are present in food contact materials (FCMs) and could therefore migrate into food, but they are not added for a technical reason during the production process. Often their presence is not known by the consumer and not even by the producer. The phenomenon of NIAS is not new, but the awareness towards this topic only rose within the last few years due to increasing sensitivity in chemical analysis. NIAS originate from different sources and include break-down products of food contact materials (FCMs), impurities of starting materials, unwanted side-products and various contaminants from recycling processes (Figure 1). The break-down products can be separated into degradation products from polymers, processing aids and additives. Side-products can originate from the production process and also from chemical reactions between food and its packaging. NIAS can enter the value chain of FCMs at any level, e.g. during the chemical synthesis of raw materials and the production of the final containers and materials. The properties of certain food types can also initiate the formation of NIAS from the respective FCMs, e.g.