CJ CheilJedang gets FDA approval for biodegradable packaging material

South Korea's largest food and bio company CJ CheilJedang Corp. announced on Thursday that its biodegradable material polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) has been approved as a food contact substance (FCS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

PHA is a biodegradable material that is produced by microorganisms consuming plant-based ingredients and storing them as a polymer in their cells. It can be applied in various fields, such as household packaging materials and cosmetic containers, and can be decomposed in most environments including soil and oceans.

The approved item is CJ CheilJedang's amorphous PHA (aPHA) currently in commercial production, which possesses rubber-like properties and can be used to make packaging materials such as plastic bags. This material has been included in the FDA's list of food contact substances after undergoing safety tests. In Korea, it is registered as a substance that can be used for food packaging by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

With this approval, CJ CheilJedang can expand its biodegradable material business in the North American market, which is the largest in the world. The company plans to seek food contact substance approval for its semi-crystalline PHA (scPHA) material by the end of this year.

"Through the latest FDA approval for food contact substances, we have established a foundation for expanding the PHA market as a future material," a CJ CheilJedang official. "We will promote the utility of PHA in the global market while expanding its applications in various fields closely related to consumers." 

Write to Soo-Jung Ha at agatha77@hankyung.com