Smithers Pira Presents Webinar Exploring FDA Regulations for Food Contact Materials in Packaging

AKRON, Ohio - March 15, 2017 - PRLog -- Smithers Pira, a worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains, announced today the latest webinar in its annual series, titled "A Beginner's Guide to FDA Food Contact Materials Regulations."

The webinar, scheduled for March 23 at 11am EST, will cover Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for food packaging materials. Smithers Pira Business Manager and food contact legislation expert, Dr. Alistair Irvine, will present an overview of the FDA's approach to the regulation of food contact materials and how this has led to a number of different approval routes. He will also explore the Food Contact Notification (FCN) Program, as well as the current exemptions from FDA regulation.

"Packaging materials are integral in supply chain efficiency and cost optimization, but working with food packaging requires additional considerations," said Alistair Irvine, head of food contact analysis at Smithers Pira.  "We support clients in their efforts to ensure that their food products arrive without being tainted by the components of their packaging and are safe for human consumption."

During the one hour webinar (http://www.smitherspira.com/resources/2017/february/webin...), Irvine will cover several key topics:

• How the FDA regulates Food Contact Materials
• The Code of Federal Regulations or the FDA Regulations (CFR21 parts 177-199)
• The role of Food Contact Notifications
• Exemptions from FDA Regulation

After the presentation, there will be a short Q&A period where attendees can pose questions to the speaker.

Dr. Irvine joined Smithers Pira in 1994. He manages the Food Packaging Safety Section within the company. This involves advising clients on safety legislation, which applies to food packaging in a wide range of countries around the world, and coordinating work programs to ensure that clients' products meet these requirements. His expertise spans regulations in the USA, EU, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Russia and all of South America.

Click here to register (http://www.smitherspira.com/resources/2017/february/webinar-a-beginners-guide-to-fda-regulations-for-f) for the webinar, or visit www.smitherspira.com/resources for information about additional webinars by experts from Smithers Pira.

About Smithers Pira

Smithers Pira is the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains. Established in 1930, the company provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance. The Smithers Pira Distribution Testing Service Center in Lansing, MI serves key industry verticals such as the food and beverage, medical and automotive markets in North America. Please visit www.smitherspira.com for more information.

About The Smithers Group:

Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, The Smithers Group includes Smithers Apex, Smithers Avanza, Smithers Pira, Smithers Quality Assessments, Smithers Rapra, and Smithers Viscient.  Each Smithers Group company provides technology-based services focused on a defined market.  As a group, the diversity of market sectors and technologies provides stability and a platform for long-term growth.  By integrating science, technology and business expertise, Smithers goal is to add value throughout the life cycle of our clients' products, by utilizing testing, consulting, information, and compliance services.  All Smithers companies are known by their clients as Trusted Providers of Innovative Solutions. For more information, visit www.smithers.com. (http://www.smithersrapra.com/)