hairyson
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I have access to the Australian Standards, unfortunately I can't repost them to public forums, but I can make some comments.
The two standards that I can see that relate to food grade containers are AS 2070:1999 (Plastics materials for food contact use) and AS 4020:2005 (Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water). [If there are others let me know].
AS 2070 is the standard specifying how materials used in the construction of plastic containers have to be identified and controlled, and refers directly to one of two sets of regulations:
(i) the US FDA Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, parts 170-199 (it's online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/cfrassem...i?title=200221).
(ii) European Commission Directives 89/109/EEC (Framework Directive) and 90/128/EEC and their subsequent amendments or revisions, including 82/711/EEC and 85/572/EEC (haven't looked it up).
AS 4020 describes the testing required for products in contact with drinking water (but states it may be used for other types of water... i.e. no info on alkaline/acidic liquids). The standard recognises cold water tests (<40C), hot water tests (40--80C for products designed for use in such situations) and, maximum holding temp tests (40--100C) at which the product is held in contact with (hot) water for an extended period, e.g. several hours, for those products designed to hold very hot water.
The manufacturer decides which temp range to test at depending on the intended use of the product. In other words, just because a product meets this standard, does not mean it has been tested at anything above 40C, though they do have to report on which test they performed, just not sure where that info is published.
The AS 4020 standard specifies tests for: taste, appearance, turbidity, growth of aquatic micro-organisms, cytotoxicity (poisonous to cells), metals in leachate, mutagenic activity (causes genetic changes to bacteria under the conditions of test), but not volatile organic compounds (VOC), which may be the real issue in regards to health. .
So... the manufacturer's test report has info on the specifics of the tests, including operating temperatures, but I don't know how to get those. Perhaps the MSDS lists some of this info?
Here's an online paper on the compounds causing taste-and-odour effects in drinking water: http://www2.oakland.edu/chemistry/docs/Tomboulian.pdf
Ben
The two standards that I can see that relate to food grade containers are AS 2070:1999 (Plastics materials for food contact use) and AS 4020:2005 (Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water). [If there are others let me know].
AS 2070 is the standard specifying how materials used in the construction of plastic containers have to be identified and controlled, and refers directly to one of two sets of regulations:
(i) the US FDA Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, parts 170-199 (it's online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/cfrassem...i?title=200221).
(ii) European Commission Directives 89/109/EEC (Framework Directive) and 90/128/EEC and their subsequent amendments or revisions, including 82/711/EEC and 85/572/EEC (haven't looked it up).
AS 4020 describes the testing required for products in contact with drinking water (but states it may be used for other types of water... i.e. no info on alkaline/acidic liquids). The standard recognises cold water tests (<40C), hot water tests (40--80C for products designed for use in such situations) and, maximum holding temp tests (40--100C) at which the product is held in contact with (hot) water for an extended period, e.g. several hours, for those products designed to hold very hot water.
The manufacturer decides which temp range to test at depending on the intended use of the product. In other words, just because a product meets this standard, does not mean it has been tested at anything above 40C, though they do have to report on which test they performed, just not sure where that info is published.
The AS 4020 standard specifies tests for: taste, appearance, turbidity, growth of aquatic micro-organisms, cytotoxicity (poisonous to cells), metals in leachate, mutagenic activity (causes genetic changes to bacteria under the conditions of test), but not volatile organic compounds (VOC), which may be the real issue in regards to health. .
So... the manufacturer's test report has info on the specifics of the tests, including operating temperatures, but I don't know how to get those. Perhaps the MSDS lists some of this info?
Here's an online paper on the compounds causing taste-and-odour effects in drinking water: http://www2.oakland.edu/chemistry/docs/Tomboulian.pdf
Ben