Overall and specific migration tests answer different questions in frameworks that use those terms. Overall migration measures total non-volatile transfer under defined conditions; specific migration measures named substances against their restrictions. Neither can be ordered correctly from “food-grade cling film” alone.
Choose the question before the test
| Test | Question | Does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Overall migration | Is total transfer within the applicable overall limit for the represented use? | That every restricted substance was individually measured |
| Specific migration | Does a named substance/group meet its applicable limit? | That untested substances or every use are covered |
The European Commission’s current plastics legislation overview explains EU overall/specific migration, simulants and conditions. Do not treat EU terminology as a universal global test scheme.
Send the laboratory this brief
- Jurisdiction and exact legal/customer question.
- Film material, full structure, thickness, formulation revision and site.
- Foods, direct-contact surface, maximum time and temperature.
- Substances/restrictions that require specific work.
- Production/sample lot, quantity and chain of custody.
Ask the lab to state simulants, conditions, methods, reporting limits and why the test represents the intended use.
Keep the conclusion at sample level
YIYUAN’s public report 202502010694 identifies one submitted 400 mm × 0.013 mm PE sample. It does not approve PVC, another formulation, every condition or every market. Use the report-reading guide after testing and the product page to identify the exact candidate beforehand.