On November 23, 2011, the European Commission Health and Consumers Directorate-General (DG-SANCO) issued EU Guidance to the Commission Regulation (EC) No 450/2009 of 29 May 2009 on active and intelligent materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

It is useful to review the EC’s definitions of active and intelligent materials:

ACTIVE MATERIALS: ‘active materials and articles’ means materials and articles that are intended to extend the shelf-life or to maintain or improve the condition of packaged food; they are designed to deliberately incorporate components that would release or absorb substances into or from the packaged food or the environment surrounding the food;

INTELLIGENT MATERIALS: ‘intelligent materials and articles’ means materials and articles which monitor the condition of packaged food or the environment surrounding the food;

The Guidance Document is posted below as well as a copy of Reg (EC) No. 450/2009.