The occurrence of Mono/Di-Chloropropanol contaminants in food contact papers and their potential health risk

Abstract

In this study, an accurate and sensitive technique (SPE-GC/MS) was developed for simultaneously measuring four chloropropanols in water extract of food contact papers (FCPs) with satisfactory recoveries (95.4–109%), while LOD and LOQ can be achieved at trace level (μg kg−1). The investigation of 126 FCPs in China indicated chloropropanols were widely presented in FCPs with 65.1% of detection frequency and 50.0% of non-compliance. Both the highest detection frequency and concentration were observed in kitchen papers. 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP were found to be the predominant contaminants of FCPs with a mean concentration of 49.7 μg L−1 and 6.2 μg L−1 in water extract, respectively. 3-MCPD significantly accounted for the high concentration of chloropropanols at a value above 40 μg kg−1. The estimated daily intake for typical and high-exposure consumers to 3-MCPD is greater than the proposed threshold limit value, suggesting 3-MCPD released from FCPs may pose a potential health risk.