Abstract
Twenty-four substances, mainly NIAS, have been tentatively identified in food contact polycarbonate through the application a new, fast, and automated analytical strategy for the investigation of unknowns in food contact materials. Most of the identified compounds were plasticizers, slip agents, antioxidants, and ultraviolet stabilizers and fragrances, and the majority of them have not been previously identified in PC food contact materials. The workflow setup includes an intelligent data acquisition applied using LC-Orbitrap Tribrid-HRMS (MS3), with an automated data processing using Compound DiscovererTM. To obtain a high confidence identification of unknown substances, a very strict criterion has been established, which comprises exact mass, isotopic profile, MS2 match, retention time, and MS3 match. To check for the safety of the migration from the food contact polycarbonate, a risk assessment was achieved using the threshold of the toxicological concern (TTC) approach. Except for the slip agent hexadecanamide, the compounds tentatively identified do not represent a risk.
Highlights
Plastics for food contact applications must be safe
In Europe, plastic articles may only be placed on the market as food contact materials (FCM) if they are manufactured with substances included in the list incorporated into the Regulation 10/2011 [1]
Between the different thermoplastic materials used as FCM, polycarbonate (PC) is commonly employed for tableware and containers exposed to hot filling or heating after filling, such as plates and bowls, that could be used repeatedly. ese PC containers can be used for reheating food in a microwave oven [5]
Summary
In Europe, plastic articles may only be placed on the market as food contact materials (FCM) if they are manufactured with substances (monomers, additives, and aids) included in the list incorporated into the Regulation 10/2011 [1] (intentionally added substances, IAS). During their manufacturing and use, some impurities and reaction or degradation products can be formed (nonintentionally added substances, NIAS). Ese PC containers can be used for reheating food in a microwave oven [5]. Apart from the target analysis, mainly for detection of IAS or specific contaminants, the analysis of NIAS is mandatory to avoid any potential health risk to the consumer [2] and should be performed in accordance with the Regulations 1935/2004 [4] and 10/2011 [1]. e identification of NIAS is challenging
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