MOCA Certification
What is MOCA Certification
Food Safety and Industrial Value in Athena Solutions
MOCA (Materials and Objects in Contact with Food) certification is one of the key requirements for those who manufacture or use components intended for the food industry.
It falls under Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 and Good Manufacturing Practices (Reg. EC No. 2023/2006), which establish general principles to ensure that materials used in the production process do not release substances potentially harmful to food.
A MOCA-compliant product, such as those developed by Athena, fully complies with current European and national regulations. Every stage – from material selection to migration testing – is managed in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 and Good Manufacturing Practices (Reg. EC 2023/2006).
MOCA
More Than Compliance: A Commitment to Process
Every product intended for the food sector is developed through a controlled and traceable process, where materials, processes, and laboratory tests are managed with particular attention to monitoring and the potential impact on the end customer.
Athena integrates MOCA compliance into every stage:
• Selection of certified materials and suppliers suitable for food contact
• Process control according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) criteria
• Full documentation traceability provided to the end customer
Thanks to this approach, Athena not only guarantees full compliance with MOCA regulations but also provides manufacturers with a tangible competitive advantage in terms of safety, quality, and certified reliability of their products.
How MOCA Compliance Testing Works
Compliance verification is based on migration tests defined by the laws of the relevant EU member state. These analyses simulate how a material behaves when in contact with food under real or even more demanding conditions.
During testing, the following are considered:
➣ The most severe foreseeable conditions of use (extended time, high temperatures) to ensure consistent performance over time
➣ The types of foods involved, divided by category — simulants such as acidic, fatty, alcoholic, aqueous, etc.
➣ Reference technical standards complementing Regulation 1935/2004 and defining detailed testing methods:
• Ministerial Decree 21.03.1973 and subsequent updates – Italy
• BfR Guidelines – Germany
• Arrêté – France
Only after successfully passing these tests can a MOCA Declaration be issued — the official document certifying the compliance of the product and its production process.
The Athena MOCA Declaration
Supplies intended for the food industry — specifically for direct contact with food and drinking water — are accompanied by a MOCA Declaration of Conformity drafted according to European guidelines.
For the customer, this document provides:
• Legal assurance, useful in case of inspections by the competent authorities
• Technical assurance, confirming that the product has been tested according to customer requirements and applicable standards
• Commercial assurance, enabling food machinery manufacturers to sell in regulated markets without the risk of non-compliance
Athena’s approach to MOCA certification combines regulatory expertise, technical know-how, and manufacturing capability.
Drawing on extensive OEM experience and deep knowledge of materials and production technologies, Athena designs and manufactures gaskets, valves, rubber stampings and other MOCA-certified technical items engineered to deliver reliable performance even under the most demanding conditions — temperature, pressure, detergents — ensuring the highest level of safety in food contact.
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Discover how Athena can support you in developing MOCA-certified solutions for the food industry.
