Determination of 60 Migrant Substances in Plastic Food Contact Materials by Vortex-Assisted Liquid-Liquid Extraction and GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS.

Pablo Miralles,Clara Coscollà,Yovana Sanchís,Vicent Yusà

doi:10.3390/molecules26247640

Abstract

A GC-HRMS analytical method for the determination of 60 migrant substances, including aldehydes, ketones, phthalates and other plasticizers, phenol derivatives, acrylates, and methacrylates, in plastic food contact materials (FCM) has been developed and validated. The proposed method includes migration tests, according to Commission Regulation (EU) 10/2011, using four food simulants (A, B, C, and D1), followed by vortex-assisted liquid–liquid extraction (VA-LLE) and GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, with a resolving power of 30,000 FWHM and a mass accuracy ≤5 ppm. The method was validated, showing satisfactory linearity (R2 ≥ 0.98 from 40 to 400 µg L−1), limits of quantification (40 µg L−1), precision (RSD, 0.6–12.6%), and relative recovery (81–120%). The proposed method was applied to the analysis of field samples, including an epoxy-coated tin food can, a drinking bottle made of Tritan copolyester, a disposable glass made of polycarbonate, and a baby feeding bottle made of polypropylene, showing that they were in compliance with the current European regulation regarding the studied substances.

Highlights

In the current market, there is a wide variety of food contact materials (FCM) made of different plastics and polymer materials, such as epoxy-coatings, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), and polyester copolymers, among others
Migration tests were performed following standardized conditions, according to current Regulation 10/2011, and the experimental variables involved in the vortex-assisted liquid–liquid extraction were studied
The proposed method was validated using procedural standard calibration, showing satisfactory linearity, method limits of quantification, precision, and relative recovery; it was applied in the analysis of four field samples made of different plastic FCM, showing that the target analytes were in compliance with their specific migration limits (SML) according to Regulation

Summary

Introduction

Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) could be present in plastic food contact materials (FCM) as impurities of the authorized substances, reaction, or degradation products, formed during the manufacture, storage, or consumption processes [2]. In this sense, the development and validation of analytical methods for the quantification of migrant substances, both IAS and NIAS, in plastic FCM using food simulants are a matter of importance and a research field of growing interest [3,4,5,6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion