The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has warned that the rapid growth of recycled plastic food packaging must be matched by stronger food safety controls. In a new report on recycled plastics and alternative food contact materials, FAO argues that sustainability goals should not move faster than science-based risk assessment, decontamination systems and harmonised regulation.

The warning comes as food manufacturers, retailers and packaging suppliers face pressure to reduce plastic waste while still protecting snacks, ready meals, confectionery, fast food, bottled beverages and other packaged products. Recycled content is increasingly seen as part of the solution, but FAO cautions that poorly controlled recycling streams can introduce chemical contamination risks into materials intended to touch food.

Recycled packaging can support circularity, but it must be designed and controlled as a food safety system, not only as a waste reduction strategy.

Food contact materials play an essential role in extending shelf life, preventing contamination and reducing food waste. However, recycled plastics may contain unknown residues if waste sorting, material identification and decontamination are not robust enough. Packaging made from mixed or poorly separated streams can carry contaminants from non-food applications, printing inks, adhesives, additives or previous product residues.

FAO also highlighted risks linked to alternative food contact materials, including bio-based packaging made from crops such as corn, sugarcane and cassava. These materials may support lower fossil-resource dependency, but they can introduce other concerns, including pesticide residues, allergens or natural toxins if raw material controls are weak. This reinforces the need to evaluate every material through a full food safety lens.

The report also points to growing use of nanomaterials and intentionally added substances designed to improve packaging performance. Active and intelligent packaging can help extend shelf life, control moisture or provide freshness information, but these technologies require clear toxicological evaluation and regulatory oversight before broad food-contact use.

Microplastics and nanoplastics remain another unresolved challenge. FAO notes that regulators still lack validated analytical methods to detect and identify these particles consistently in food and beverages. Without reliable testing methods, it is difficult to assess exposure levels or determine potential health risks with confidence.

• Food-grade waste separation is essential before plastics enter recycling systems.
• Decontamination processes must be validated for food contact applications.
• Alternative materials need risk assessment, not only sustainability claims.
• Global harmonisation can reduce trade barriers and improve consumer protection.
• Analytical methods are needed for microplastic and nanoplastic risk evaluation.

For packaging producers, the message is clear: recycled content must be supported by traceability and quality assurance. This means knowing where material comes from, how it was sorted, what it previously contained and whether the recycling process removes contaminants to a safe level. Food-grade recycled plastic cannot be treated as a generic commodity.

For brands, the issue is equally strategic. Consumers and regulators want less plastic waste, but a food safety incident linked to packaging would damage trust and undermine circular packaging programmes. Sustainability claims must therefore be backed by robust testing, supplier qualification and transparent documentation.

Regulatory fragmentation is another concern. If countries adopt different rules for recycled plastics, bio-based materials and food contact testing, international food trade could become more complicated. FAO is calling for globally harmonised standards that help companies innovate while maintaining a consistent safety baseline. The findings are expected to feed into discussions at the Codex Alimentarius Commission, created by FAO and the World Health Organization to develop international food standards.

The packaging industry should see this report not as a barrier to circularity, but as guidance for scaling it responsibly. Recycled plastics, fibre-based alternatives, bio-based coatings and smart packaging technologies can all play a role in reducing environmental impact. Yet each must be assessed for migration, contamination, functionality and real end-of-life performance.

As the food packaging market continues to expand, the sector must avoid replacing one problem with another. The next generation of sustainable food packaging will depend on stronger science, better waste stream control and closer cooperation between recyclers, converters, food companies and regulators. FAO’s warning reinforces a simple principle: circular packaging must be safe packaging.