Several companies have announced moves to support clean production and ban harmful chemicals such as plasticisers or perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals from their production processes.
In particular, Aldi, Lidl, Rewe/Penny, Tchibo and the Swiss Coop chain were recently praised by Greenpeace for committing to detoxification and working on return and recycling programs.
As early as 2004, the Cantonal Laboratory of Zurich discovered that oily foods in glass jars such as pesto, pasta sauces and antipasti contain plasticisers, and 98 per cent of the products tested exceeded the limits specified in EU Directives – some a hundredfold.
The plasticizers detected originated from the PVC seal on the inside rim of the screw cap.
Oil dissolves the plasticisers contained in the PVC which then migrate into the food.
For more than 10 years, products have been tested for plasticiser concentrations which must not contain more than 60 mg/kg of food.
But high concentrations are repeatedly detected.
Even in the tests carried out in 2013 and 2015, the Cantonal Laboratory of Zurich again discovered alarming figures, and the Swiss consumer magazine K-Tipp has now published up-to-date laboratory tests in which limit values were once again significantly exceeded.
Of 24 jars of antipasti tested, only three – featuring a blue seal ring – proved to be harmless.
All the other products displayed increased values and in some cases, up to five different plasticisers were found.
Seals without problematic substances have been available for years.
The idea of PVC-free seals started off as an inspiration demanding complex and intensive research work.
Distributed under the Provalin brand name, materials free of PVC and plasticisers developed by Actega DS are used in seals by German seal manufacturer Pano.
For the first time, products filled for Feinkost Dittmann were sealed PVC-free.
Since then, not only has this company changed over to PVC-free seals – many other companies have also opted to go PVC-free.
