Food safe

Ceramics MOCA – FCM - MCDA

Any items intended to come into contact with food are known as MOCA in Italy ("Materials and articles intended to come into contact with food").
In english FCM (Food Contact Materials)
In French MCDA (Matériaux au Contact des Denrées Alimentaires)
During contact with the food, molecules can migrate from the FCM to the food.

Because of this, in many countries, regulations are made to ensure food safety.

Food safe symbol

The international symbol for "food safe" material is a wine glass and a fork symbol. The symbol indicates that the material used in the product is considered safe for food contact.
The symbol is used in North America, Europe and parts of Asia.
It is mandatory for products sold in Europe after the Framework Regulation EC 1935/2004.
Even though the legal requirement in various nations would be different, the food safe symbol generally assures that:

• The container surface is free of any toxic contaminants which could be contacted from the manufacturing process.
• The container material shall not potentially become a source of toxic contamination through usage.

Declaration of Conformity (DoC).

Every sale of a ceramic food-contact product must be issued with a so-called declaration of conformity (DoC).
This certifies that the product is in compliance with legal prescriptions, which provide value limits for cadmium and lead solubility.

In my production, lead and cadmium are not used.

My Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is here.
The stoneware is fired at high temperature (1300°C) and does not need to use these compounds to obtain melting or colors.