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Extent of migration of unwanted substances from packaging materials made of waste paper in food
Project
Project code: 2809HS012
Contract period: 01.11.2009
- 31.05.2012
Budget: 430,030 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Relevant introduction of contaminants was determined for newspapers and other matter printed by the cold-set off-set technique (mineral oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons), thermal printer paper (bisphenols A and S), glued products such as books and cardboard boxes (plasticizers). Optical brighteners were detected in all product groups. Mineral oil was the predominant contaminant. The recycling process was only modestly efficient in removing the contaminants (less than 30 %).
In recycled cardboard more than 250 substances were detected with a volatility assuring candidacy for migration into food and with a concentration that could result in a migration exceeding 10 µg/kg in food. However, this analysis did not include all substances present and barely 2/3 of the substances detected could be identified. Storage of experimental packs in recycled cardboard of 6 different foods over 9 months indicated significant migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons (up to 80 % of those below C24), dibutyl and diisobutyl phthalate, printing ink components and light polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Internal bags varied strongly in their efficiency of protecting the food: polyethylene reduced migration by a factor of 2-3, polypropylene by approximately a factor of 100. PET was a tight barrier. Bisphenol A and optical brighteners did not migrate. Standard migration testing with Tenax did not adequately simulate real migration.
In 45 samples of food packed in recycled cardboard and stored at ambient temperature during extended periods of time, up to 101 mg/kg of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and 13 mg/kg mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) were measured. Among the plasticizers, the highest degree of migration was determined for DiBP (3 mg/kg); about 50 % of the samples exceeded the migration limit of 0.3 mg/kg specified by the BfR. The migration of photo initiators was at a very low range of µg/kg.
It was concluded that a functional barrier is indispensable to protecting food from migration of contaminants in recycled cardboard.
Section overview
Subjects
- Food Processing
- Toxicology
