With the new EU rules on packaging and the chemical safety of food contact materials (Regulations (EU) 2025/40 and 2024/3190), the European Union is imposing precise obligations in terms of design, testing, and traceability, with repercussions across the entire supply chain and on the final price paid by consumers.

This marks a paradigm shift affecting manufacturers, large-scale retail, and the food service sector alike: by 12 February 2027, bars and restaurants will be required to allow customers to use their own containers “under conditions that are not less favourable”, and, from 2028, to offer a reusable packaging option.

Framing the scale of this transition is Prof. Francesco Bruno, partner at B-HSE Società tra Avvocati, interviewed by la Repubblica for its weekly supplement Affari&Finanza:

“It will be necessary to ensure, and to demonstrate, that packaging is designed for recyclability and has been minimised.”

Between preventive due diligence, new documentary burdens, and the ban on bisphenols set to become operational from 20 July 2026, the challenge lies in striking a difficult balance between the protection of health and the environment, on the one hand, and the economic sustainability of businesses, on the other.