{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/plastic-materials-and-articles-in-contact-with-food-england-regulations-2006/schedule-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/plastic-materials-and-articles-in-contact-with-food-england-regulations-2006/schedule-4.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2006/1401",
  "legislation_title": "The Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/plastic-materials-and-articles-in-contact-with-food-england-regulations-2006",
  "path": "schedule/4",
  "kind": "schedule",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Specifications",
  "text": "Item\n1\nPM/REF No\n2\nSpecifications\n(1) Quantity of substance used/quantity of formulation\n1\n11530\nAcrylic acid, 2-hydroxypropyl ester\nIt may contain up to 25% (m/m) of acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyisopropyl ester (CAS No. 002918-23-2)\n2\n16690\nDivinylbenzene\nIt may contain up to 45% (m/m) of Ethylvinylbenzene\n3\n18888\n3-Hydroxybutanoic acid – 3-hydroxypentanoic acid, copolymer\nDefinition\nThe copolymers are produced by the controlled fermentation of Alcaligenes eutrophus using mixtures of glucose and propanoic acid as carbon sources. The organism used has not been genetically engineered and has been derived from a single wild-type organism Alcaligenes eutrophus strain H16 NCIMB 10442.\nMaster stocks of the organism are stored as freeze-dried ampoules. A submaster/working stock is prepared from the master stock and stored in liquid nitrogen and used to prepare inocula for the fermenter. Fermenter samples will be examined daily both microscopically and for any changes in colonial morphology on a variety of agars at different temperatures. The copolymers are isolated from heat treatment bacteria by controlled digestion of the other cellular components, washing and drying. These copolymers are normally offered as formulated, melt formed granules containing additives such as nucleating agents, plasticisers, fillers, stabilisers and pigments which all conform to the general and individual specifications.\nChemical name\nPoly(3-D-hydroxybutanoate-co-3-D-hydroxypentanoate)\nCAS number\n080181-31-3\nStructural formula\nAs set out in Part B of Annex V to the Directive\nAverage molecular weight\nNot less than 150 000 Daltons (measured by gel permeation chromatography)\nAssay\nNot less than 98% poly (3-D-hydroxybutanoate\n-co-3-D-hydroxypentanoate) analysed after hydrolysis as a mixture of 3-D-hydroxybutanoic and 3-D-hydroxypentanoic acids\nDescription\nWhite to off-white powder after isolation\nSolubility\nSoluble in chlorinated hydrocarbons such as chloroform or dichloromethane but practically insoluable in ethanol, aliphatic alkanes and water\nRestriction\nQMA for crotonic acid is 0.05 mg/6 dm2\nPurity\nPrior to granulation of the raw material copolymer powder must contain:\n- nitrogen\nNot more than 2,500 mg/g of plastic\n- zinc\nNot more than 100 mg/kg of plastic\n- copper\nNot more than 5 mg/kg of plastic\n- lead\nNot more than 2 mg/kg of plastic\n- arsenic\nNot more than 1 mg/kg of plastic\n- chromium\nNot more than 1 mg/kg of plastic\n4\n23547\nPolydimethylsiloxane (Mw > 6800)\nMinimum viscosity 100 x 10 -m2/s (= 100 centistokes) at 25° C\n5\n25385\nTriallylamine\n40 mg/kg hydrogel at a ratio of 1 kg food to a maximum of 1.5 grams of hydrogel. For use only in hydrogels intended for non-direct food contact use.\n6\n38320\n4-(2-Benzoxazolyl)-4'- (5-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl) stilbene\nNot more than 0.05% w/w (quantity of substance used / quantity of the formulation)\n7\n43680\nChlorodifluoromethane\nContent of chlorofluoromethane less than 1 mg/kg of the substance\n8\n47210\nDibutylthiostannoic acid polymer\nMolecular unit = (C8H18S3Sn2) n (n = 1.5-2)\n9\n76721\nPolydimethylsiloxane (Mw > 6800)\nMinimum viscosity 100 x 10 -;m2/s (= 100 centistokes) at 25° C\n10\n77895\nPolyethyleneglycol (EO = 2-6) monoalkyl (C16-C18) ether\nThe composition of this mixture is as follows:\n-polyethyleneglycol (EO = 2-6) monoalkyl (C16-C18) ether approximately 28%)\n-fatty alcohols (C16-C18) (approximately 48%)\n-ethyleneglycol monoalkyl (C16-C18) ether (approximately 24%)\n11\n83595\nReaction product of di-tert-butylphosphonite with biphenyl, obtained by condensation of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol with Friedel Craft reaction product of phosphorus trichloride and bipheny\nComposition\n-4,4'-Biphenylene-bis [0,0-bis (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphonite] (CAS No. 38613-77-3) (36-46% w/w)\n-4,3'-Biphenylene-bis [0,0-bis (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphonite] (CAS No. 118421-00-4) (17-23% w/w)\n-3-3'-Biphenylene-bis [0,0-bis (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphonite] CAS No. 118421-01-5) (1-5% w/w )\n-4-Biphenylene-0,0-bis [0,0-bis (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphonite] (CAS No. 91362 – 37-7 (11-19% w/w)\n-Tris (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite (CAS No. 31570-04-4) (9-18% w/w)\n-4,4'-Biphenylene-0,0-bis (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphonate-0,0-bis (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphonite (CAS No. 112949–97-0) (< 5% w/w)\nOther specifications\n-Phosphor content of minimum 5.4% to maximum 5.9%\n-Acid value of maximum 10 mg KOH per gram\n-Melt range of 85-110°C\n12\n88640\nSoybean oil, epoxidized\nOxirane less than 8%, iodine number < 6\n13\n95859\nWaxes, refined, derived from petroleum based or synthetic hydrocarbon feedstocks. The product should have the following specifications:\n-Phosphor content of minimum 5.4% to maximum 5.9%\n-Content of mineral hydrocarbons with carbon number less than 25: not more than 5% (w/w)\n-Viscosity not less than 11 x 10 -m2/s (= 11 centistokes) at 100°C\n-Average molecular weight not less than 500\n14\n95883\nWhite mineral oils, paraffinic, derived from petroleum based hydrocarbon feedstocks\nThe product shall have the following specifications:\n-Content of mineral hydrocarbons with carbon number less than 25: not more than 5% (w/w)\n-Viscosity not less than 8.5 x 10-m2/s (= 8.5 centistokes) at 100°C\n-Average molecular weight not less than 480",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "(1) Quantity of substance used/quantity of formulation"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1401/schedule/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:28:33.333266+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}