The European agri-food sector faces a new scenario from this Wednesday, August 12, regarding the packaging it uses in the production, processing, and marketing of food. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, known as the PPWR, begins to apply generally and sets out a timetable of new requirements that will progressively affect farmers and livestock producers who directly package and market their products, cooperatives, fruit and vegetable packing facilities, the food industry, packaging manufacturers, and distributors.
The regulation does not enter into force today. It entered into force on February 11, 2025, but established August 12, 2026, as the general date of application. The objective is to move toward a common system across the European Union that reduces waste and increasingly determines the design, composition, recyclability, and reusability of packaging.
One of the changes taking effect immediately directly concerns packaging intended to come into contact with food.
PFAS: The first change already affecting food
As of August 12, packaging containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, at concentrations equal to or above the limits established by the Regulation may no longer be placed on the market.
The measure affects an agri-food supply chain in which packaging is essential for preserving, transporting, and marketing everything from fruit and vegetables to meat, dairy products, processed foods, and beverages.
There is also a particularly relevant issue for companies holding existing stocks. The European Commission has clarified that having manufactured packaging before August 12 is not, in itself, sufficient to exempt it from the new requirements.
Affected packaging placed on the market from today onward must comply with the established limits, even if it was manufactured previously. By contrast, packaging that had already been placed on the market before August 12 may continue to be marketed.
