(12)Since Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Councilnote discourages the use of single use plastic food contact materials due to their environmental impact, increasingly plastic materials and articles in contact with food are designed for repeated use. However, repeated use may lead to deterioration of the plastic material or article, leading to an increase of migration of constituents into food that may endanger human health. Such deterioration of plastic materials and articles is indicated by various signs, for example, by surface cracks and crazes, blisters, delamination, shrinkage or other deformation, and yellowing or other permanent discoloration or loss of gloss or transparency. However, usage related changes such as tainting from colorants from foods, including from lycopene and curcumin, is not in principle a deterioration of the material or article. To prevent the use of deteriorated plastic articles, the manufacturer or other operator responsible for placing on the market of the final plastic food contact article should provide users of plastic food contact articles with information about how to prevent or slow down deterioration and the changes that indicate the deterioration by repeated use.
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