EU PPWR Regulation 2026: What Food & Medical Label Suppliers Need to Know

Under PPWR 2026, PFAS restrictions enter force on 12 August 2026 without a transitional period. Food-contact labels must comply with:

• Individual PFAS ≤ 25 ppb
• Sum of targeted PFAS ≤ 250 ppb
• Total PFAS (including polymeric) ≤ 50 ppm

Intentional addition or contamination – both count. Existing stock is not grandfathered. Additionally, the sum of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in any packaging component (inks, adhesives included) must not exceed 100 mg/kg.

For food label suppliers, immediate PFAS audits are required.

PPWR 2026 recognises the sterility needs of medical packaging and offers targeted exemptions from reuse targets and recyclability performance grades. However, these are not blanket waivers. Medical label suppliers must still comply with substance restrictions (PFAS, heavy metals) and maintain technical justification for any claimed exemption.

Even exempted Medical Labels fall under general PPWR compliance documentation obligations. 

From 2030, packaging not designed for recycling will lose EU market access. Recyclability will be graded A (≥95%), B (≥80%) or C (≥70%). Labels must not hinder recycling of the primary package. This drives demand for wash-off adhesives, linerless structures, and mono-material label constructions.

PPWR compliance for food and medical labels increasingly depends on recyclability-friendly design.

Food and medical label suppliers should:

• Audit materials for PFAS and heavy metals
• Source compliant alternatives from raw material partners
• Test label constructions against design-for-recycling guidelines
• Document compliance evidence (technical files)