For the first time, consumers and other health-conscious organizations will be able to know if the plastic product their food is wrapped or stored in is truly "pure", containing no animal stearates or byproducts. Three years in the making, Premier Group International, Inc. (PGI, kosherplastic.com) has announced that its symbol, ERC®, has been officially registered and will start being used immediately. This will be especially important to such groups as Kosher, Muslim, Hindu, Vegans/Vegetarians, Seventh Day Adventists and health-conscious individuals. The company will also be launching its own storage bowls and containers in addition to certification of plastics for key manufacturers of products affecting health worldwide.
Currently, the majority of plastics packaging products require additives to obtain the necessary processing characteristics of physical properties. These additives, technically known as stearates, are blended compounds derived from animal fats processed by the under-regulated rendering industry. Animal stearates are used with foods, beverages, medicines and other human consumption packaging in today's fast-paced society.
PGI's products will also be truly BPA-free, non-GMO and "safe" in an era when the plastics industry is being besieged by concerned groups who have been increasingly "anti-plastic" for various health reasons.
