🍎 Guide to the selection of conditions and test methods for overall migration from plastics intended to come into contact with food — types of test (migration tests with food simulants, substitute tests with iso-octane, 95 % ethanol and modified polyphenylene oxide, alternative tests with volatile media, extraction tests), food simulants A–D, choice of simulant by food type (Tables 1 and 2) and reduction factors 2–5 for fatty foods, PN-EN 1186-1

Food chemistry PN-EN 1186-1

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. We read the text of the standard in the iTeh sample of SIST EN 1186-1:2002 (text of EN 1186-1:2002, English): from the title page through the contents, foreword, introduction and Clauses 1–5 to Clause 6 with Table 2 up to item 05.02 (fats and oils) on page 13 inclusive. Outside the sample remain the rest of Table 2 and Clause 6, Clauses 7 (conditions of migration, substitute and alternative tests), 8 (apparatus), 9 (samples and geometry), 10 (methods with fatty food simulants), 11 (precision), 12 (test reports) and Annexes A–C and ZA.

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF EN 1186-1:2002 (foreword, introduction, Clauses 1–6, Tables 1–2 to 05.02). The standard was prepared by CEN/TC 194 “Utensils in contact with food” (secretariat BSI) under a mandate from the European Commission and EFTA; CEN approved it on 05.01.2002, and it superseded ENV 1186-1:1994; the foreword recommends consulting the latest directives before testing, as EU legislation on plastics in contact with food was then incomplete; the EN 1186 series has Parts 2–15 (among them 2 and 3 — total immersion in olive oil and in aqueous food simulants, 4 and 5 — cell, 6 and 7 — pouch, 8 and 9 — article filling, 13 — high temperatures, 14 — substitute tests, 15 — alternative methods). Introduction: no single method exists for all temperatures and simulants; Part 1 advises on the selection of the type of test, conditions and method and should be read in its entirety before the test protocol is finalized; for most articles Parts 2–9 are suitable; validation of procedures on certified reference samples and participation in proficiency schemes are recommended. Scope (1): guide to the selection of conditions and test methods for overall migration into food simulants and test media from plastics intended to come into contact with food. Terms (3): among others final article, sample, test specimen, test piece; food simulant; migration test; substitute test (test media under conventional conditions when the migration test is not feasible); test media — iso-octane, 95 % ethanol in aqueous solution, modified polyphenylene oxide (MPPO); alternative test (volatile media instead of fatty food simulants); extraction tests (media with very strong extraction under severe conditions); overall migration — mass of material transferred to the food simulant or test medium; reduction factor — numbers from 2 to 5 for certain fatty foods, taking account of the greater extractive capacity of the simulant; pouch, reverse pouch, cell; repeatability r and reproducibility R (probability 95 %). Types of test (4): migration — food simulants under conventional conditions; substitute — when the test with a fatty food simulant is technically not feasible (e.g. interferences, incomplete extraction of oil, unstable mass of the plastic, excessive absorption of fat, reaction of components with the fat): all media, a new specimen for each, reduction factors 2–5, for compliance — the highest result; alternative with volatile media — permitted if in a comparison test they give a result equal to or higher than the migration test with a fatty simulant and after reduction factors do not exceed the limit, otherwise the migration test must be performed; extraction — if it is scientifically recognized that they give results equal to or higher than with simulant D. Simulants and media (5): A — distilled or equivalent water, B — 3 % (w/v) acetic acid (30 g acetic acid per 1 l), C — 10 % (v/v) ethanol (for beverages stronger than 10 % — ethanol of similar strength); aqueous simulants must give a non-volatile residue of less than 5 mg/l after evaporation and drying at 105–110 °C; D — rectified olive oil as “reference simulant D”, which may be replaced by a synthetic mixture of triglycerides, sunflower oil or corn oil with standardized specifications (Annex A). Selection of simulants (6): according to the note Directive 85/572/EEC specified 15 % ethanol as simulant C, superseded by 10 % ethanol by Directive 97/48/EC; an article for contact with all types of food — simulants B, C and D without reduction factors, and when the limit is exceeded with a simulant D other than olive oil — confirmation with olive oil where technically feasible; Table 1 — selection for a general indication (e.g. only aqueous food — A, acidic — B, alcoholic — C, fatty — D, all fatty, alcoholic and acidic — D, C and B); Table 2 — list of foods with simulants marked “X”, with a reduction factor (e.g. X/5, X/3, X/2) and “X(a)” — simulant A at pH above 4,5, simulant B at pH 4,5 or less; a specific heading takes precedence over a general one.

STATUS (as of 03.10.2026). The PKN search (term “PN-EN 1186-1”, 03.10.2026) shows PN-EN 1186-1:2005 (Polish version, “Introduces: EN 1186-1:2002 [IDT]”) without a withdrawal note and the withdrawn PN-EN 1186-1:2003 (English version, replaced by PN-EN 1186-1:2005); the other items are Parts 10–15 of the series (among them PN-EN 1186-15:2010 withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN 1186-3:2023-01). In the iTeh catalogue (read on 03.10.2026) EN 1186-1:2002 has the status “Published”. Overall migration into aqueous food simulants by total immersion is described in a separate entry on PN-EN 1186-3.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, load up to 17.09.2026, read on 03.10.2026). The number 1186-1 (excluding Parts 10–15) appears in 12 records at 5 laboratories: AB 185, AB 311, AB 451 (5), AB 910, AB 1296 (4). In the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026, issues from 31.10.2023 to 06.07.2026) the number appears in 12 rows of the same laboratories (AB 451 — 5, AB 1296 — 4, the others 1 each). Always together with PN-EN 1186-3:2023-01 (at AB 910 also with Parts 5, 7, 9, 14, 15 and others, flexible scope “E”). The form “PN-EN 1186-1:2005” (AB 451), “PN-EN 1186-1 :2005” with a space (AB 311), “PN EN 1186-1:2005” without hyphen (AB 185), “PN-EN 1186-1:2005 z wył. p. 5, 6, 7, 10” (excluding points 5, 6, 7, 10) after PN-EN 1186-3:2023-01 (AB 1296), “PN-EN 1186-1” without year (AB 910). None of these items is suspended. The “Laboratories” tab (term “PN-EN 1186-1”) shows 4 laboratories: AB 311, AB 451, AB 910 and AB 1797 — the last because of PN-EN 1186-13 (the term is a prefix); AB 185 is under “PN EN 1186-1”, and AB 1296 under “PN-EN 1186-3” — checked with tab queries on the production server labcoda.pl on 03.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (items in PCA). Plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (AB 185, AB 1296; at AB 451 packaging materials, at AB 311 packaging film and other articles), materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (AB 910, “E”). Characteristics: overall migration into aqueous food simulants — by total immersion, in a cell, in a pouch, by article filling (AB 451, AB 1296), into substitute media (iso-octane, 95 % ethanol), at AB 311 water, 3 % acetic acid, 10 %, 20 % and 50 % ethanol and substitute media; gravimetric method. Example ranges: water (0,5–12,0) mg/dm2, iso-octane and 95 % ethanol (0,5–13,0) mg/dm2 (AB 1296), iso-octane (0,54–12,00) mg/dm2 (AB 451). Ethanol 20 % and 50 % is not listed among simulants A–C in 5.1 (5.1 allows ethanol of similar strength to a beverage above 10 %).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. With the choice of simulant: according to the intended use of the article — Table 1 for a general indication, Table 2 for a specific food; a specific heading before a general one (6.2). With “X(a)”: simulant A for pH > 4,5, simulant B for pH ≤ 4,5 (6.2). With reduction factors: 2–5 only for the indicated fatty foods; for contact with all types of food — without them (3.14, 6.1). With substitute tests: all media, each on a new specimen, the highest result counts (4.2). With alternative tests: a comparison test with a fatty simulant is required (4.3.1). With aqueous simulants: non-volatile residue below 5 mg/l (5.1). When the limit is exceeded with a simulant D other than olive oil — confirmation with olive oil (6.1).

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not read the time and temperature conditions of tests (Clause 7), apparatus, specimen geometry, methods with fatty simulants, precision, tolerances on time and temperature (Annex B) or the rest of Table 2. Nor do we give overall migration limits from Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 or whether the selection of simulants according to the 2002 directives matches current legislation.

Method principle

The type of test and food simulant are selected according to the intended use of the plastic article: a migration test with simulants A (water), B (3 % acetic acid), C (10 % ethanol) and D (olive oil or another fatty simulant), and when the test with a fatty simulant is technically not feasible — a substitute test with iso-octane, 95 % ethanol and MPPO or an alternative test with volatile media. Tables 1 and 2 indicate the simulants by food type, together with reduction factors 2–5 for certain fatty foods; the determination itself is carried out according to the further parts of EN 1186.

Applications

• Plastics intended to come into contact with food — selection of the overall migration test (1)
• Choice of food simulants by food type and labelling of the article (6, Tables 1 and 2)
• Plastic materials and articles, packaging and films — overall migration together with PN-EN 1186-3 in the accreditation scopes of 5 laboratories in PCA

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 1186-1:2005

Title (PL)

Materiały i wyroby przeznaczone do kontaktu z produktami spożywczymi — Tworzywa sztuczne — Część 1: Przewodnik dotyczący wyboru warunków i metod badań migracji globalnej

Title (EN)

Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs — Plastics — Part 1: Guide to the selection of conditions and test methods for overall migration

Step-by-step procedure

1. Intended use of the article

   Establish which food the article will contact (all types, general indication, specific food). PN-EN 1186-1:2005 without a withdrawal note (03.10.2026).

2. Food simulants

   According to 6.1, Table 1 or Table 2; reduction factors only where indicated.

3. Type of test

   Migration; if not feasible with a fatty simulant — substitute (all media) or alternative (with comparison test).

4. Method

   Determination according to the relevant part of EN 1186 (e.g. EN 1186-3 — total immersion in aqueous food simulants).

5. Conditions

   Time and temperature according to Clause 7 and tolerances according to Annex B (not read).

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Iso-octane and ethanol — flammable liquids; work in a fume hood
• Hot olive oil and oven — risk of burns

Frequently asked questions