Abstract
Plastic food containers and bags are classified as the most dangerous food and water contaminants around the world, because of the possibility to transfer the chemicals from it to food as a result of heating. Therefore this study was aimed to estimate the chemical pollutants (heavy metals included lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and zinc) that transfer from plastic food containers and bags to food. Thirty food containers (15 packages and 15 bags) synthesized from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) were purchased from the local market in Baghdad. Cut each into small equal pieces (0.5×0.5) cm and placed in a thermo glass containers then submerged 3 food solution (D.W, 3%, acetic acid, and olive oil). Two thermal treatments were done on it; the first one was carried out by boiling on a hot plate surface for 10 and 15 minutes, and the second by heating in microwave for 5 and 10 minutes, heavy metals were estimated by using Atomic Absorption technique. The results showed the significant difference between the concentration of the elements at level (p<o.o5) in these treatment. Also transfer of heavy elements at zero time was very small percentage and insignificant, and the concentration of heavy metals in three solutions were increased as C>B>A after treated with two thermal treatment. The concentration of all heavy elements in this solution after heating for 10 minutes and heating in microwave for 5 and 10 minutes. Were higher than the acceptable limits by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Commission (EU).
Highlights
Food safety from different toxins is a major source of concern for food manufacturers, regulators, consumers and consumers around the world, food contamination refers to the presence of toxic chemicals or microbial pathogens that can have adverse health effects on humans (5, 18), the effect of chemicals on consumer health is often apparent after long exposure and at low levels, usually, chemical pollutants present in foods are not affected by the temperature used in cooking, but they remain in them and do not break down because they are often resistant to high temperatures (7)
Food and beverage products may be highly reactive with the substances they touch, they are good as many solvents used in chemistry lab, for example, food acids can cause corrosion of metals, and can decompose fats, oils and the plastic material leakage, reacts with it, drinks can break up paper and unprotected cardboard, in practice, there are no fully functional nutrients, so their chemical components may migrate to packaged food, glass, ceramics, plastics, rubber and paper can release accurate amounts of their chemical components when they touch certain foods (2,7)
The transmission of chemical contaminants from food contact materials is called migration, a source of significant contamination of food, the transfer of chemical pollutants from the packaging to the food depends on various factors such as the physiochemical characteristics of the transfer process, the type of packaging material and the type of food, temperature, storage time, and the size of the package is proportional to the size of the food stored in it, and the types of chemical pollutants that can be transported from the package to food are very numerous and varied [19,8]
Summary
Food safety from different toxins is a major source of concern for food manufacturers, regulators, consumers and consumers around the world, food contamination refers to the presence of toxic chemicals or microbial pathogens that can have adverse health effects on humans (5, 18), the effect of chemicals on consumer health is often apparent after long exposure and at low levels, usually, chemical pollutants present in foods are not affected by the temperature used in cooking, but they remain in them and do not break down because they are often resistant to high temperatures (7).
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