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APR. MAY. 2019 V consent of all. A second edition that confirms GF1 as one of the reference points of the food industry, the strong feedback received and vibrant participation in the event of 2019, even more popular than that of 2018. “We are full of enthusiasm and dynamism... we are already in the process of discussing what to do for Open Doors 2020. Stefano Panconi concludes: “We want to widen the range of cooking shows and all the events, involving more and more professionals of the level, as well as new ideas for the organisation. We will see you next year!” AT PAGE 12 THE BOTTOM LINE Goodbye to plastic? With the approval of the Disposable Plastics Directive, food service operators will also have to find alternatives to some commonly used plastic items. Here are the indications of an expert and local initiatives that anticipate the application of the law By Elena Consonni The month of March will be remembered as the month in which Europe took an important step towards reducing the pollution caused by the disposal of plastic objects in the environment. On the 27th, in fact, the Directive on disposable plastic products was definitively approved by the European Parliament. The Directive, which will have to be adopted into national law, requires that from 2021 disposable plastic products for which alternatives exist be banned. Many of them are used in catering (cutlery, dishes, straws...). These items must be replaced by recyclable materials. The legislation also sets a collection target of 90% for plastic bottles by 2029 and determines that by 2025, 25% of plastic bottles will have to be made of recycled materials, which will increase to 30% by 2030. In the next two years, therefore, those who use disposable crockery will have to comply with the indications of the Directive, but with some caution. “This is a Directive,” explains Marinella Vitulli, expert in food contact materials and head of the Food Contact Center, “and not a Regulation, so there may be differences between the indications given and its implementation in Italy.” Waiting for the issue of the Italian law, here are some indications on the materials that can be used. “The alternatives,” explains Vitulli, “should be biodegradable plastics (such as PLA, polylactic acid) and cellulosic materials, i.e. paper-based. They must meet the requirements of recyclability (for paper) and biodegradability and compostability (for PLA), established by technical standards. All products must be technically suitable. Products do not need to be branded, although they generally bear the logo of the certification body. Information on this subject may also be given in the technical data sheets that accompany them. However, they must be requested from the supplier at the time of purchase, because such labelling is not compulsory.” Another parameter that must be evaluated is the technological suitability of the product we have chosen for the function it is to perform. “There is always a price to pay to compensate for the fact that a material degrades easily, she points out, “For example, there may be problems with the resistance to high temperatures or with maintaining the shape even after thermal stress, or even glasses that fit into each other and cannot be separated.” As for their safety, at the moment there is little scientific literature available on these materials. “Personally,” says Vitulli, “in our laboratories we have verified examples of visual and other changes to some materials. For example, a bamboo flour tray, which changed colour from bright green to more opaque when in contact with food simulants. There is a study by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità on PLA (presented in Parma - BioPolPack Congress - in April 2010) in which SEM microscopic images show changes in the surface of PLA products in contact with food simulants.” MILAN BEGINS WITH EXPERIMENTATION While clarifying the legislative aspects and examining those related to safety, some administrations have moved in the direction traced by the European Directive. This is the case of Milan, which launched the “Milano Plastic Free” project last February. The experimental initiative involves bars and restaurants in four streets in the Niguarda and Isola areas. The establishments that join will be supported by volunteers from Legambiente which will analyse the type and consumption of plastic within each business and propose as an alternative the adoption of products capable of the same use but more respectful to the environment. “The collaboration with Legambiente and with the commercial operators of Niguarda and Isola,” explain Councillors Cristina Tajani (Production activities and Commerce) and Marco Granelli (Mobility and Environment), “will allow us to