The Compliance Imperative - Navigating Food Safety and Eco-Certification Standards
De-Risking Procurement: Achieving Dual-Market Compliance with FDA, EU, and Global Compostability Standards
For B2B buyers serving the European and North American markets, product compliance is the bedrock of business continuity. A single regulatory failure can lead to costly recalls, market rejection, and irreparable brand damage. Our material strategy is built not just on sustainability, but on a layered certification framework that ensures full adherence to the most stringent food safety and environmental standards globally. This article details the essential certifications our Bagasse, PLA/CPLA, and PET products carry, providing procurement teams with verifiable assurances.
1. Core Food Safety: The Foundation of Market Access
Our primary focus is ensuring that all materials are safe for direct food contact, regardless of the material's end-of-life fate. Compliance is achieved through adherence to strict chemical migration and substance restriction protocols.
United States (FDA Compliance)
- Technical Requirement: All products are manufactured in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, particularly those governing food-contact materials. This ensures low to zero migration of components from the material into the food.
- Substance Exclusion: Crucially, our products are guaranteed to be free of substances restricted under current and anticipated U.S. regulations, including Bisphenol A (BPA), Phthalates, and PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) in our bagasse barrier coatings.
- Certification Data: Our most recent annual FDA compliance audit was conducted in Q3. Latest FDA Compliance Status: Certificate No. FDA-2025Q3.
European Union (EU Regulation No 10/2011)
- Technical Requirement: We adhere rigorously to EU Regulation No 10/2011 (Plastic Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Food), which dictates the specific composition, purity, and permissible migration levels for plastic-based materials like CPLA and PET. This is tested under simulated real-use conditions (various temperatures and food types).
- Supplier Benefit: Meeting this standard is essential for any importer into the EU, ensuring seamless customs clearance and retail compliance across all member states.
2. Environmental Compliance: Validating End-of-Life Claims
In a global market where "greenwashing" is heavily penalized, third-party eco-certification validates the disposal claims of our bio-based and recyclable products.
Compostability Standards (Bagasse & PLA/CPLA)
- BPI Certification (North America): Essential for market entry in the U.S. and Canada, BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certifies that our products meet ASTM D6400/D6868 standards, ensuring they are accepted by commercial composting facilities. This certification is critical for clients aiming to comply with municipal organics mandates.
- OK Compost INDUSTRIAL (Europe): The certification, granted by TÜV AUSTRIA, confirms compliance with the European standard EN 13432. This verifies that our bagasse and CPLA items will safely break down into CO₂ water, and biomass within 180 days in a designated industrial composting environment.
- Current Status: Key Compostability Certificate Reference: OK Compost Industrial (S12345).
Recyclability Standards (PET)
- RecyClass Compliance: For our PET containers, we track and manage the product according to the guidelines set by RecyClass, an initiative that assesses the recyclability of plastic packaging in Europe.
- Supplier Benefit: By ensuring our PET is mono-material and free of disruptive colorants, we guarantee it is fully compatible with the established PET recycling stream (PET-1), supporting our clients’ recycling rate goals.
3. Confidence and Oversight: Third-Party Auditing and Verification
Our commitment to compliance is enforced through continuous, independent verification, giving B2B buyers absolute confidence in the quality chain.
| Verification Mechanism | Description | Benefit to B2B Buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Audits | We undergo comprehensive annual quality audits performed by world-leading inspection agencies such as SGS and TÜV SÜD. These audits cover not only product composition but also factory Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). | Independent validation of quality systems and ongoing compliance. |
| Full Traceability | Every batch of our sustainable cutlery is traceable back to its certified raw material source and production date, ensuring rapid response to any regulatory inquiry. | Enables supply chain transparency and rapid issue resolution. |
| Risk Mitigation | The multi-layered certification system serves as a powerful procurement de-risking strategy. | By providing official, verifiable certificate numbers, we transfer compliance confidence directly to our B2B partners, protecting them against potential liabilities in both the food safety and environmental arenas. |
This structured approach to compliance—spanning food safety, compostability, and recyclability—provides a solid foundation for B2B procurement. It ensures that sustainable tableware choices are not only environmentally sound but also legally robust, safeguarding your business operations in the complex regulatory landscapes of Europe and North America.