Safety assessment of commercial antimicrobial food packaging: Triclosan and microplastics, a closer look

Abstract

Antimicrobial food packaging incorporating triclosan (TCS) was banned in the European Union in 2010, while in other countries; regulations on the use of TCS in food contact materials are unclear. In this context, this work has investigated compliance with the EU ban on TCS in commercial antibacterial polypropylene food containers sold through online sales platforms.TCS was present in all food containers tested. Migration studies to food simulants, under different conditions (e.g., conventional and microwave heating, single and repeated use) have been performed according to Regulation 10/2011. The highest TCS migration levels corresponded to 95% ethanol at 40 ºC for 10 days, although migration rates varied between different containers. Furthermore, microplastics were found to leach from the surface of antibacterial food containers when exposed to microwave heating or oven heating. Therefore, microplastics containing TCS might enter food in contact with the containers during use, posing a potential health risk for consumers.