Within the LIFE VERMEER project, a new software system to support the risk assessment of chemicals intended to be used in plastic Food Contact Materials (FCM) has been developed. The software allows to model the migration of chemicals from FCM into food and to predict several toxicological endpoints relevant for FCM compounds.

The software, freely available, has been designed in line with the regulatory framework for plastics FCM (Regulation EU No 10/2011)

Toxicological data requirements for plastic FCM compounds are driven by the migration of the compound into the food. VERMEER FCM allows to predict the concentration of chemical migrants in food in contact with plastic FCM providing at the same time predictions for a series of toxicological endpoints. The user is asked to provide the information regarding the chemical(s) of interest, the FCM and the food concerned, and other important parameters such as the contact time between food and FCM, contact temperature and some physico-chemical properties of the chemical migrants in order to launch the simulation.

The software allows to run both deterministic and probabilistic simulations.

Features

• Freely available: no registration required.
• One-shop system: one-shop system for the risk assessment of plastic FCM.
• High covering: hazard and exposure (i.e. migration) assessment within one platform.
• Migration model included: migration model available to estimate the concentration of migrating chemicals in food.
• QSAR models inside: models for mutagenicity, chromosome damage, No Observed Adverse Effect level (NOAEL), carcinogenicity and developmental toxicity included.
• Detailed output: deterministic and probabilistic simulation possible.