Food Contact Regulations Europe 2023

David has recently retired after 35 years in global legislative processes, and a wide range of experience of EU biocide committees, working groups and technical workshops. In addition to his recent role as Senior Regulatory Analyst in Chemical Watch he worked for just under 20 years at UK HSE (UK Competent Authority for Biocides) as well as 7 years in industry and 5 years as a consultant.

Miguel Angel Prieto Arranz, is a chemist by training, and is currently the Director of the “Food & feed”- and “Plastic Additives”-clusters in Cefic (the European Chemical Industry Council). He is the responsible Sector Group manager for “FCA” –Food Contact Additives. Before joining Cefic, he worked for four years in FoodDrinkEurope (the association of the European food and drink manufacturing industries) as food policy, science and R&D manager. Prior to that, he worked as R&D manager at the Technology Transfer Center Bremerhaven (ttz-Bremerhaven) in Germany.

As chemical policy expert, Antonia supports the work of CHEM Trust related to the revision and implementation of the REACH and CLP regulation as well as product-related legislation, such as on food contact materials. Furthermore, she works on the use of human biomonitoring data in regulatory decision making. Antonia has been on the Management Board of CHEM Trust Europe since December 2018. Apart from her work for CHEM Trust, Antonia implements projects on chemicals management as a freelance consultant.

Jonathan has a BSc degree in biochemistry (toxicology) from the University of Surrey and has previously worked for the UK's Food Standards Agency as a senior scientific officer on risk management of chemicals in food, including contaminants, pesticides and food contact materials.

Dr Bernard Hegarty is Director of Enforcement Policy with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. He manages the official food control programmes, including the controls on national and EU laws on food contact materials. He represented Ireland at the European Commission’s Working Group on Food Contact Materials, which develops the harmonised European legislation, from 2000 to 2009. He co-chaired the Council working group that developed Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004. He chaired the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on food contact materials from 2006 to 2007. He has a BSc and a PhD in Chemistry and an MA in Public Management.

Neil Finley graduated in Chemical Engineering from University of Manchester’s Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1986 and has held various roles in the chemical industry for over 30 years.

Ales Bartl, Partner, resident in the firm’s Brussels office, advises clients on regulatory compliance of a broad range of products marketed in Europe. Ales primarily focuses on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), the Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) regulation, Biocidal Products Regulation, Fertilizer Regulation, food law, regulation of electronic products, and product safety. He represents clients in the European Courts and in procedures before the Board of Appeal of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). He also represents clients in various proceedings before the ECHA, as well as before EU and national competent authorities on compliance and enforcement issues, including withdrawals and recalls of unsafe or non-compliant products.

Mike Simoni has a degree in Industrial and Natural Resource Chemistry from Brunel University.  He has spent 35 years working in technical functions within the printing ink manufacturing industry, with the last 26 years working in a variety of roles within Sun Chemical.

Sabine Lindner, a Biologist holding a PhD from Bonn University worked from 1994 to 2007 for the German Vinyls Association. Since 2007 she has been is with PlasticsEurope Deutschland where she is responsible for consumer issues as food contact materials, drinking water contact materials, toys, building and construction products, PVC. In addition she is facilitator of several working groups at PlasticsEurope in Brussels and coordinating related activities throughout Europe for: Food Contac Materials Drinking Water Contact Materials

Dr. Driffield has 25 years’ experience in the field of analytical chemistry, providing advice and guidance on the analytical techniques used to investigate problems across a number of commodities and Industries including food, beverages, packaging such as plastics, coatings and printing inks, and fuels.

At WRAP, as Head of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Jordan works with national and international partners, governments, NGO’s, charities, producers/manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders to design efficient and effective EPR mechanisms. Jordan leads the EPR vision and strategy at WRAP, engaging with all waste streams where the EPR concept can be applied, including, but not limited to, product packaging, electronics, batteries, and textiles. Jordan has 10+ years of EPR experience spanning the globe, including UK, Europe, USA, Canada, South America, Australia, APAC, Middle East, and Africa. As a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management's SEG (Strategic Expert Group) for Producer Responsibility, Jordan provides technical expertise to CIWM and sector stakeholders on existing and potential Producer Responsibility frameworks and legislation for various waste streams in the UK.

Birgit Geueke is a Senior Scientist at the Food Packaging Forum (FPF) Foundation, an independent and science-based organisation for science communication and research. At the FPF, she leads the development of databases systematically covering chemical migration from food contact materials and the impact of these chemicals on human health. During her 10 years at FPF, she was involved in several research projects, published a series of dossier articles about the chemical safety of food contact materials, and (co-)authored over ten peer - reviewed scientific publications. Birgit Geueke holds a PhD in Biology from the Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Germany and has many years of experience in academic research in the fields of environmental microbiology, biocatalysis, and biochemistry.

In a position equivalent to partner, Anna is Director EHS Regulatory in Steptoe’s Brussels office.  A European Patent Attorney, with a PhD in analytical chemistry and quantum chemistry and more than 20 years of experience as a scientific and regulatory adviser in law firms, she provides companies with comprehensive compliance strategies in areas such as: chemicals, food and feed, food contact materials, biocides, medical devices, and the application of nanomaterials.

Rachida Semail is a partner at Keller and Heckman LLP in the Brussels, Belgium office, affiliated with the Paris bar (France). Ms. Semail assists clients with food packaging matters, particularly with the establishment of suitable EU status for articles and materials intended for food-contact. She has extensive experience on subject matters not harmonized at the EU level, as is the case in much of the food-contact sector, where mutual recognition is of paramount importance.

Nick has 13 years’ experience in Food Contact material Safety & Chemical Regulation, whilst heading different positions in TUVR in Asia Pacific region and Greater China region related to Food Contact materials and chemical regulation. A senior expert to support multinational corporation for the regulatory compliance and product safety evaluation for various products (including Food Packaging, kitchenware, household appliance and food processing machinery etc.) for major markets (EU, US, China, Japan, Mercosur etc.) He has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry.

Dr. Klatt graduated as Ph.D. of Science from University of Goettingen in 1992. From 1992 until 1995 he was working at University of Goettingen as Senior Scientist. In 1995 he joined BASF SE and started in polymer research in the field of engineering plastics and flame retardants for polymers. After an interim research position from 2007 until 2014, Dr. Klatt returned to the field of product safety and took over the product stewardship group of dispersions and resins. He represents BASF in various associations including the European association for dispersions (EPDLA) and the European manufacturer of Acrylate based UV/EB Resins (UVEB). Dr. Klatt was one of the founders of the initiative of CEPI and ECPG to align on an internet-based questionnaire for information transfer along the value chain. He currently is President of the two CEFIC Sector groups EPDLA and UVEB and of ALIPA.

PhD in Food Technology (2014) and Food Engineer (2003) at UNICAMP – Campinas State University. I have been working at Packaging Technology Center for 28 years. Since 2018 I have worked as Technical Manager and I have been coordinating the area called Interaction and Packaging Compliance.

Jess Chia-Sui Hsu is currently the Regulatory Manager at Global Product Compliance (GPC). Her team is responsible for existing and emerging chemical regulatory compliance intelligence and support. She has a MSc in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science (LUMES) and a PhD in Human Geography, both from Lund University. Since 2019, Jess has been involved in a wide range of regulatory compliance and training activities, such as REACH, supply chain management, product compliance and circular economy. She is also the coordinator for GPC’s internship program, which guides young talents to success in the regulatory field. 

Dorota holds PhD degrees in Biology (Biochemistry) and in Biomedical Sciences (Nanotoxicology). Prior to joining Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), Dorota was leading the Safer Chemicals programme at Health Care Without Harm Europe, and worked for the European Commission (DG Joint Research Center) and at the Department of Public Health of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium). At ZWE, Dorota's work focuses on the topic of non-toxicity of products and packaging (food packaging in particular), and clean and effective material cycles needed for achievement of a truly circular economy.

Hazel O'Keeffe is a Partner in Keller and Heckman LLP’s Brussels office. She counsels clients on the regulation of food-contact materials, notably in the European Union (EU), Switzerland and the United Kingdom, focusing on establishing a suitable status for all types of food-contact materials (including plastics, paper and paperboard, printing inks, coatings, adhesives, silicones and rubber) at both EU and national level. She has extensive experience in preparing food contact petitions for submission to the European Food Safety Authority (‘EFSA’) and to Member State authorities, such as the German Institute of Risk Assessment (‘BfR’). Hazel also advises on, inter alia, EU requirements for biocides, materials in contact with drinking water, personal protective equipment, packaging waste and single-use plastics, medicinal products/European Pharmacopoeia, medical devices, cosmetics, and recycling and green claims.

Zanda’s practice focuses on EU regulatory compliance in the areas of chemicals and product regulation. She also advises on developments under the EU’s Green Deal, in particular the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and other ESG related matters.

Bastiaan Schupp is the Team Leader for Food Contact Materials in DG Health and Food Safety of the European Commission. In the context of food safety, his main responsibly is the implementation of the specific measures on food contact materials presently in force, with a focus on the framework Regulation, plastic and recycled plastic food contact materials. Bastiaan is educated as a chemical engineer, and has a background in risk management.

Tina Robertson is a Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager, Food Contact Materials at knoell USA LLC, based out of Chicago. She provides regulatory support and to ensure compliance of food contact materials, reviews product compositions in accordance with global regulations, and prepares registration dossiers of food contact materials (FCM) in USA, EU, and Asia.