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Food-contact supplies are a regulatory category

Cups, containers and cutlery that touch food or drink fall under Food Standards Agency rules in the United Kingdom. This page covers what that means when you're the one placing the order.

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What counts as food-contact in a workplace kitchen

A food-contact item is anything designed to touch food or drink directly: cups, plates, cutlery, cling film, foil, food storage boxes, and the liners inside some packaging. Under UK law, these items are covered by food contact material regulations enforced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which sets the boundary for what a supplier has to get right before the product reaches a workplace kitchen.

What counts, and what doesn't

A kettle, a fridge or a worktop is not itself a food-contact item, even though food passes near it, because the regulation is about materials that touch food or drink directly. A disposable cup, a set of plastic cutlery, or a roll of catering film is, because the material itself is in contact with what someone eats or drinks.

  • Disposable cups, plates and bowls
  • Cutlery, whether disposable or reusable
  • Cling film, foil and greaseproof paper
  • Food storage boxes and containers
  • Straws, stirrers and lids

What the rule requires of the supplier

A supplier placing a food-contact item on the market has to be able to show the material will not pass anything harmful into the food it touches, and that it is fit for its intended use, whether that is holding a hot drink or storing food in a fridge. This is a duty on the supplier and the manufacturer.

Confirming that a specific supplier's item actually meets this standard is a matter for the FSA. What a workplace buyer can reasonably do is check the packaging and ask the right questions before ordering, which the next section covers.

Before you order

What to check before you order food-contact supplies

These are checks worth running before you commit to an order.

  • Food-contact marking on the packaging

    Look for the glass-and-fork symbol or a written statement that the material is intended for contact with food, printed on the item itself.

  • What the item is actually made from

    Ask for the material by name, such as PET, PLA or paperboard.

  • The temperature range it's rated for

    A container built for cold drinks can distort or leach if it's used for hot food it was never designed to hold, so check both ends of the range you'll actually use it in.

  • Batch or lot traceability

    Ask whether the supplier can trace a delivery back to a specific batch, so a problem with one run can be identified without pulling every box you've bought from them.

  • Who is responsible for placing it on the market

    Find out the manufacturer or importer named on the packaging, since that's who you'd need to contact if something about the item turned out to be wrong.

  • What a compostable or recyclable claim actually covers

    Some items marked compostable only break down in industrial composting conditions, so ask the supplier which applies before you tell customers or staff anything different.

  • A technical data sheet for the specific product

    A general company certificate doesn't tell you about the item you're ordering; ask for documentation tied to that product line and, if you can, that batch.

  • Storage conditions and shelf life of the packaging itself

    Some biodegradable and compostable materials have their own shelf life and degrade in storage, so ask how long the supplier expects it to sit before use.

This list covers the packaging in front of you. It isn't a substitute for checking your own obligations as the business serving the food.

Find a verified UK catering supplies supplier

Directory entries carry the date each supplier's trading status was checked, so you can see where the check came from before you order.

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