KENYA STANDARD  DKS 2987:2023  
ICS 13.030.50  
First  Edition  
 
 © KEBS 2023  
 Acceptance criteria for food-grade 
recycled PET resin 
 
 DKS 2987:2023  
ii © KEBS 2023 – All rights reserved  
 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
The Coca -Cola Company  
Danone Waters  
Nestlé Waters  
PepsiCo  
Institute of packaging professionals Kenya   
The Packaging Producer Responsibility Organization  
Consumer Information Network  
Kenya Association of Manufactures  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions for 
improvements to published standards, addressed t o the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are 
welcome.  
© Kenya Bureau of Standards  2023 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists 
in all Kenya Standa rds and except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of Standards 
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing f rom the 
Managing D irector.   KENYA STANDARD  DKS 2987:2023  
ICS 13.030.50  
First  Edition  
 
© KEBS 202 3 – All rights reserved  iii 
  
Acceptance criteria for food-grade recycled 
PET resin 
 
 
  Kenya Bureau of Standards,  Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya  bureau of standards (kebs)  
DKS 2987:2023  
iv © KEBS 2023 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
This draft Kenya Standard was prepared by the Plastics and Plastic Products Technical Committee under the 
guidance of the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya Bure au 
of Standards.  
This draft Kenya Standard outline the acceptance criteria for food –grade recycled PET (r PET) resin used in 
the production of food packaging. Resins should meet the specific requirement outlined in relevant regulations, 
including limits o n potential contaminants, migration level, process traceability and other safety parameter.  
Adherence to these acceptance criteria will promote the responsible use of rPET resin, support a sustainable 
circular economy, and provide consumers with safe and e nvironmentally friendly food packaging solutions . 
 KENYA STANDARD  DKS 2987:2023  
 
© KEBS 202 3– All rights reserved  1 
 Acceptance criteria for food -grade recycled PET resin  
 
1 Scope   
This draft Kenya standard pertains to the acceptance criteria for using food -grade recycled PET resinous 
material in bottling or packing operations.  
This standard does not apply to the recycling process operation of transforming post -consumer PET bottles into 
food-grade recycled PET resins suitable for bottling or packing . 
2 Normative references  
There are no normative references in this document  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply . 
3.1 
PET – poly( ethylene terephthalate ), CAS 25038 -59-9 
plastic resin formed by polycondensation reaction of ethylene glycol with either terephthalic acid or dimethyl 
terephthalate  
3.2 
virgin PET (vPET)  
PET resin formed by polycondensation reaction of the following start ing monomers: a) ethylene glycol derived 
from ethylene and b) terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate derived from para -xylene  
3.3 
post -consumer PET  
aggregate of used PET bottles and containers collected from consumers and separated from non -PET bottles 
and containers, It includes material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional 
facilities in their role as end -users of th e product. This includes returns of material from the distribution chain  
3.4 
PET flakes  
aggregate of fragments from grinding and washing of post -consumer PET  
3.5 
Recycled PET (rPET)  
PET resin made with some percentage of post -consumer PET bottles and con tainers  
3.6 
food -grade recycled PET (FG rPET)  
recycled PET resin that has undergone a validated decontamination process in order to achieve suitable purity 
for directly holding food or beverages  
4 Recycling processes  
4.1 Conventional recycling process  
A mechanical recycling operation where PET Flakes are washed, melted, extruded, and pelletized without a 
process step to remove contaminants .  DKS 2987:2023  
2 © KEBS:202 3 – All rights reserved  
 4.2 Super -clean recycling process  
A conventional recycling process enhanced with an integrated decontamination step to remove absorbed 
contaminants through a combination of surface treatment, high heat, and/or high vacuum in a controlled 
environment such that the output can be used for food contact applications  
4.3 Melt-in recycling process  
A virgin PET production operation enhanced with the ability of incorporating PET Flakes in the molten form 
which is decontaminated through a combination of high heat and high vacuum . 
4.4 Paste -in recycling process  
A virgin PET produc tion operation enhanced with the ability of incorporating PET Flakes in the paste form via 
partial glycolysis and equipped with an integrated system of removing absorbed contaminants via chemical 
distillation, vacuum degassing, etc.  
4.5 Chemical recycling  process  
A chemical reaction operation of fully depolymerizing PET Flakes into purified ethylene glycol and terephthalic 
acid (or dimethyl terephthalate), or bis(2 -hydroxyethylterephthalate) . 
5 Testing  
5.1 Challenge test  
A validation test in which virgin PET is exposed to a mixture of surrogate chemicals of different molecular weight 
and polarity at exaggerated levels, processed through the entire recycling process, and analyzed quantitatively 
for the residual concentrations.  
5.2 Extraction test 
A quantitative analysis on the substances present in the PET (virgin, rPET, or FG rPET) in any form (films, 
sheets, bottles, preforms, flakes, or pellets)  
5.3 Migration test  
A quantitative analysis on the substances migrating from the PET containers into t he beverage (or food 
simulants)  
6 Supply chain documentation  
6.1 Declaration of compliance  
A statement issued by the business operator declaring how the product offered for sale is compliant with an 
established and/or applicable food contact regulatory standard . 
6.2 Regulatory opinion  
An opinion letter issued by a recognized, competent regulatory  authority i.e Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) 
and Pharmacy and poison board (PPB) addressing the capability of a given process or operation to recycle PET 
Flakes into Food -Grade rPET based on an accepted regulatory threshold protective of public health  DKS 2987:2023  
© KEBS 202 3 – All rights reserved  3 
 7 Requirements  
The requirements on the resin outputs from recycling processes are as follows  
7.1 Conventional recycling process  
PET flakes processed through the conventional recycling proces s shall  not be accepted as FG rPET.  
7.2  Super -clean recycling proc ess 
7.2.1  PET flakes processed through a super -clean recycling process shall not be accepted as FG rPET unless 
a recognized competent authority has determined, based on a scientific review of relevant data, that the process 
is effective in reducing potenti al contaminants to a level suitable for food contact.  
7.2.2  The level of decontamination shall be below the 220 µg/kg limit in the resin for each surrogate 
contaminant by an extraction test, or below the 10 µg/kg limit in the beverage or food simulant for each surrogate 
contaminant by a migration test.  
7.3 Melt-in recycling process  
7.3.1  PET flakes processed through a Melt -in Recycling Process shall not be accepted as FG rPET  unless a 
recognized competent authority has determined, based on a scientific review of relevant data, that the process 
is effective in reducing potential contaminants to a level suitable for food contact.  
7.3.2  The level of decontamination shall be below  the 220 µg/kg limit in the resin for each surrogate 
contaminant by an extraction test, or below the 10 µg/kg limit in the beverage or food simulant for each surrogate 
contaminant by a migration test.  
7.4 Paste -in recycling process  
PET flakes processed thr ough a paste -in recycling process shall be accepted as FG rPET.  
7.5 Chemical recycling pr ocess  
PET flakes processed through a chemical recycling process shall be considered equivalent to virgin PET.  
8 Documentation  
Recycling operations shall provide docume nts upon request as follows:  
8.1 Super -clean recycling process  
Operator of a super -clean recycling process shall provide downstream converters, beverage bottlers, and/or 
food packers  the following:  
a)  a declaration of compliance on the product ; and 
b) a regulatory opinion on the process of making the product.  
8.2 Melt-in recycling process  
Operator of a melt-in recycling process shall provide downstream converters and bottlers  the following:  
a) a declaration of compliance on the product, and  DKS 2987:2023  
4 © KEBS:202 3 – All rights reserved  
 b) a regulatory opinion on the process of making the product.  
8.3 Paste -in recycling process  
Operators of a paste -in recycling process shall provide downstream converters and bottlers  
a)  a declaration of compliance on the product, and ; 
b) a regulatory opinion on the process of making the product.  
8.4 Chemical recycling process  
Operators of a chemical recycling process shall issue a declaration of compliance to the downstream user on 
the process output . DKS 2987:2023  
© KEBS 202 3 – All rights reserved  5 
 Bibliography  
[1] United States Food and Drug Administration, Guidance for Industry: Use of Recycled Plastics in Food 
Packaging – Chemistry Considerations (2006)  
[2] Health Canada, Guidelines for Determining th e Acceptability and Use of Recycled Plastics in Food 
Packaging Applications (2011)  
[3] Japan Ministry of Health and Labor, Guidelines for the Use of Recycled Plastic Materials for use in food 
containers and packaging  
[4] KS 2360 :2012 , Positive list of constituents of polyalkylene tetrephthalates (pet and pbt) for their safe use 
in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water  
[5] European Food Safety Authority, Scientific Opinion On The Criteria To Be Used For Safety Eval uation Of 
A Mechanical Recycling Process To Produce Recycled PET Intended To Be Used For Manufacture Of Materials 
And Articles In Contact With Food (2011) https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2184  
[6] MERCOSUR, Reglamento Técnico Mercosur Sobre En vases De Polietilentereftalato (PET) Postconsumo 
Reciclado Grado Alimentario (PET -PCR Grado Alimentario) Destinados A Estar En Contacto Con Alimentos 
(2007) https://normas.mercosur.int/simfiles/normativas/5274_RES_030 -2007_ES_PET -PCR.pdf  
[7] Secretaria de Conomia de Mexico, Industria Del Plástico -Polietileno Tereftalato Reciclado Utilizado Para 
Envases De Alimentos Y Bebidas -Especificaciones Y Métodos De Prueba (2016), 
http://d of.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5473070&fecha=27/02/2017  
 
 
 KS 2987:2023    
 
© KEBS 2023 – All rights reserved