Tableware made from bamboo powder is unfit for food contact because it can release melamine and formaldehyde. The European Commission has launched an alert campaign in 21 countries to remove these MOCAs (Food Contact Materials and Objects) from the market. (1)
Bamboo powder tableware, true nature
Bamboo powdered tableware is marketed with claims such as ‘natural‘, ‘eco-friendly‘, even ‘organic‘, although ‘even if the plant additive used is organic, the organic label can only be used for food under Regulation (EC) No. 834/200‘ [repealed by the following reg. EU 848/18, ed.], warns the European Commission.
Instead, they are illegal and dangerous products. They are in fact made from a mixture of plastic polymers and bamboo or other plant-based additives, used as fillers to give volume and shape to the object.
They are distinguished from natural bamboo artifacts by the smooth texture typical of plastic. And for unsuitability for food contact, instead safe for natural bamboo, as we have seen. (2)
The chemical risk
The safety of most of the plant additives has not been evaluated from a safety perspective and is not authorized under Regulation (EU) 10/2011 on MOCAs in plastics, which approves the use of 900 substances as monomers, additives and adjuvants in polymer production.
Instead, bamboo and other plant-based materials ground into plastics are known to accelerate the degradation of some polymers with which they are mixed. As a result, toxic substances such as melamine and formaldehyde can migrate into food.
Moreover, migration is promoted by contact with hot food and by washing in dishwashers.
Spot checks
In order to put an end to the illegal import, trade and advertising of plastic items that use bamboo or other plant-based additives as fillers, the European Commission has launched a campaign of targeted checks, together with theEU Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).
The action plan ended in April 2022, and the result, reported at the end of November 2022, is that 21 European countries have notified 748 plastic products containing ground bamboo:
– 644 from the EU market,
– 104 from outside the EU, almost always from China, rejected at the borders.
All products on the European market have been withdrawn, and member states are alerted to continue controls.
Notes
(1) Bamboo-zling. EU Enforcement Action on plastic Food Contact Materials (FCM) made of bamboo ‘powder ‘ https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/eu-agri-food-fraud-network/eu-coordinated-actions/bamboo-zling_en
(2) Dario Dongo. Bamboo, crockery and cooking utensils. The guidelines from India. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 15.9.19
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
