BASF is expanding its Elastollan portfolio (TPU, thermoplastic polyurethane) to include special Food Contact (FC) grades which are suitable for use in applications involving contact with food. The new Elastollan portfolio, which is produced using the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) system of quality assurance, comprises numerous ether- and ester-based grades. They can be used in a wide range of injection-molding and extrusion applications – from conveyor belts, films and fabrics through to hoses.

Plastics which can come into contact with food have to meet the very highest safety and quality standards. Conveyor belts or hoses must, as plant components, not exude any critical substances which are transferred to food and can alter the taste, odor or composition of the food.

The new Elastollan FC grades from BASF comply with both the guidelines of the EU regulations governing food contact applications and the standards of the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration). They satisfy the high safety requirements of GMP (Guidance for Good Manufacturing Practice, 2023/2006/EC) – a regulation for ensuring the quality of the production processes and environment used for manufacturing materials that will come into contact with food.

By implementing an additional package of measures as part of GMP, BASF ensures consistently high product quality. Key elements of GMP include testing the suitability of systems, carrying out risk analyses to determine risks of contamination, comprehensive documentation of process and quality control data and adhering to defined cleaning cycles, as well as the specified approval of suppliers and raw materials.

In the Elastollan nomenclature, the new grades will now be identified by the abbreviation “FC”. They will be available from January 2016.

In addition, since 2014 BASF has been one of the first plastics manufacturers to offer a special FC grade in its PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) range: Ultradur B 1520 FC has a high barrier to water vapor, oxygen and in particular aroma, without the need for any additional coatings. The food contact certification means that the new grade is suitable for coffee capsules and thin-walled, injection-molded packaging for food and cosmetics.