In evaluating a packaging system for food packaging applications, consideration must be given to the physical properties, chemical composition and extractivity of the packaging material. The last point, extractivity, or migration from the packaging material to a food contact phase, is of major concern in the selection and use of plastics packaging materials for food packaging.
The present article deals specifically with migration of indirect food additives from plastics packaging materials and the scientific principles related to migrant transport or diffusion, as they apply to food safety. These principles and their experimental basis are discussed.