[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 3]
[Revised as of April 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR177.1312]

[Page 255-256]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                          SERVICES (CONTINUED)
 
PART 177_INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: POLYMERS--Table of Contents
 
Subpart B_Substances for Use as Basic Components of Single and Repeated 
                        Use Food Contact Surfaces
 
Sec. 177.1312  Ethylene-carbon monoxide copolymers.

    The ethylene-carbon monoxide copolymers identified in paragraph (a) 
of this section may be safely used as components of articles intended 
for use in contact with food subject to the provisions of this section.
    (a) Identity. For the purposes of this section, ethylene-carbon 
monoxide copolymers (CAS Reg. No. 25052-62-4) consist of the basic 
polymers produced by the copolymerization of ethylene and carbon 
monoxide such that the copolymers contain not more than 30 weight-
percent of polymer units derived from carbon monoxide.
    (b) Conditions of use. (1) The polymers may be safely used as 
components of the food-contact or interior core layer of multilaminate 
food-contact articles.
    (2) The polymers may be safely used as food-contact materials at 
temperatures not to exceed 121 [deg]C (250 [deg]F).
    (c) Specifications. (1) Food-contact layers formed from the basic 
copolymer identified in paragraph (a) of this section shall be limited 
to a thickness of not more than 0.01 centimeter (0.004 inch).
    (2) The copolymers identified in paragraph (a) of this section shall 
have a melt index not greater than 500 as determined by ASTM method 
D1238-82, condition E ``Standard Test Method for Flow Rates of 
Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer,'' which is incorporated by 
reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.

[[Page 256]]

Copies may be obtained from the American Society for Testing Materials, 
1916 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, or may be examined at the Center 
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-200), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, or at 
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information 
on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go 
to: http://www.archives.gov/federal--register/code--of--federal--
regulations/ibr--locations.html.
    (3) The basic copolymer identified in paragraph (a) of this section, 
when extracted with the solvent or solvents characterizing the type of 
food and under the conditions of time and temperature characterizing the 
conditions of its intended use, as determined from tables 1 and 2 of 
Sec. 176.170(c) of this chapter, yields net chloroform-soluble 
extractives in each extracting solvent not to exceed 0.5 milligram per 
square inch of food-contact surface when tested by methods described in 
Sec. 176.170(d) of this chapter.
    (4) The provisions of this section are not applicable to ethylene-
carbon monoxide copolymers complying with Sec. 175.105 of this chapter.

[57 FR 32422, July 22, 1992]