Study of Amount of Evaporation Residue in Extracts from Plastic Kitchen Utensils into Four Food-simulating Solvents

Abstract

The amount of evaporation residue was investigated as an index of total amount of non-volatile substances that migrated from plastic kitchen utensils into four food-simulating solvents (water, 4% acetic acid, 20% ethanol and heptane). The samples were 71 products made of 12 types of plastics for food contact use. The amount was determined in accordance with the Japanese testing method. The quantitation limit was 5 µg/mL. In the cases of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylonitrile styrene resin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polymethylpentene, polymethylmethacrylate and polyethylene terephthalate samples, the amount was highest for heptane and very low for the other solvents. On the other hand, in the cases of melamine resin and polyamide samples, the amount was highest for 4% acetic acid or 20% ethanol and lowest for heptane. These results enabled the selection of the most suitable solvent, and the rapid and efficient determination of evaporation residue.