Food Packaging Certifications, Declarations & Migration Testing: A Buyer’s Guide

When a food brand chooses a pouch, price and appearance matter—but technical documentation matters too. Buyers may need evidence that the packaging has been assessed for its intended use, particularly when supplying retailers, wholesalers or quality-controlled production environments.

This guide explains the main types of documentation you may be asked for and how to approach them when sourcing flexible food packaging.

What is a food-contact declaration?

A food-contact declaration is documentation supplied for a packaging material or construction that states its intended suitability for contact with food under defined conditions. The exact scope depends on the material, construction and testing behind the document.

A declaration should never be treated as a blanket guarantee for every possible product or process. A pouch used for dry coffee at ambient temperature can have very different requirements from packaging used for hot fill, oily foods or long-term storage.

What is migration testing?

Migration testing is used to assess whether substances can transfer from packaging into food or a food simulant under defined test conditions. The relevant test depends on the packaging material and intended use.

For buyers, the important point is to match the report to the actual pouch construction being considered. A migration report for one material structure should not automatically be assumed to cover another.

Why the exact pouch structure matters

Flexible pouches can be made from several layers, each performing a different function. Some structures are designed primarily for barrier protection, some for transparency, some for kraft appearance and others for sealability or stiffness.

That means the documentation you request should relate to the actual product you intend to buy. When contacting a supplier, provide the product name, size and intended contents so the correct documents can be identified.

What other documentation might buyers request?

Depending on the supplier and production facility, buyers may also ask for quality, food-safety, environmental, occupational-health-and-safety or business-continuity management-system documentation. These documents describe management systems rather than replacing product-specific food-contact evidence.

Questions to ask your packaging supplier

• Which food-contact declaration applies to this exact pouch?
• Is migration testing available for this material structure?
• What food types and conditions is the documentation intended to cover?
• Are there any limitations relating to temperature, storage or filling?
• Can the supplier provide copies before an order is placed?

OTTO&ONE documentation

For suitable products, OTTO&ONE can provide relevant food-contact declarations, migration test reports and other available production documentation. We match documentation to the pouch being considered rather than assuming every document applies to every product.

See our Food Safety & Packaging Documentation page for more information.

Choosing the right pouch

Technical documentation is only one part of the decision. Buyers should also consider pouch dimensions, capacity, barrier needs, closure type, valve requirements, filling method, shelf presentation and order quantity.

Explore our stand-up / Doypack pouches, flat-bottom pouches and gusseted pouches. For coffee, visit our Coffee Packaging UK guide.

Need documents before ordering?

Contact OTTO&ONE with the product name, size and intended use. We can help identify the relevant documentation and arrange samples for suitable business enquiries.