Activities and current research from the EC, standards, measurements and testing programme (SMT) in the area of food contact materials

The EC, Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (SMT) is the successor of the Measurements and Testing Programme (M&T) and the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR). Its objectives include the provision of research and technical support to standardization and health of the society when it is required to improve the competitive position of European industry, and for the development or implementation of Community policy. The SMT-Programme is currently supporting a number of different types of collaborative projects in the food packaging sphere. Their objectives range from method development via preparation and certification of reference materials, preparation of a handbook and the update of a spectral atlas to pre-normative research providing information on a number of sources and wide range of packed products being transported throughout Europe.