Plastic Food Packaging Materials Research Articles

Tracking chemical feature releases from plastic food packaging to humans

Humankind are being exposed to a cocktail of chemicals, such as chemicals released from plastic food packaging. It is of great importance to evaluate the prevalence of plastic food packaging-derived chemicals pollution along the flow of food-human. We developed a robust and practical database of 2101 chemical features associated with plastic food packaging that combined data from three sources, 925 of which were acquired from non-target screening of chemical extracts from eight commonly used plastic food packaging materials. In this database, 625 features, especially half of the non-targets, were potential migrants who likely entered our bodies through dietary intake. Biomonitoring analysis of plastic chemical features in foodstuffs or human serum samples showed that approximately 78 % of the 2101 features were detectable and approximately half were non-targets. Of these, 17 plastic chemicals with high detection frequencies (DFs) in the human serum were confirmed to be functional chemical additives. Together, our work indicates that the number of plastic chemicals in our bodies could be far greater than previously recognized, and human exposure to plastic chemicals might pose a potential health risk.

Migration patterns of organophosphate esters from plastic food packaging simulants to foods: Donors, behaviours, and influencing factors

In recent years, organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been widely produced and used as flame retardants and plasticizer additives, posing significant ecological and health risks. Dietary intake is considered to be the primary route of human exposure to OPEs. Plastic food packaging materials are considered a crucial source for contamination of OPEs in food. However, the migration behaviour of OPEs from plastic food packaging materials into foods has received limited attention. In this study, we employed a novel method to prepare migration donors containing 13 kinds of OPEs. The migration behaviours of OPEs from food packaging simulants (polypropylene) to foods (full-fat milk powder) were simulated, and factors influencing the migration of OPEs were examined, including the properties of the target compounds, migration temperature, fat content of the migration receptors, and mass transfer mode. The results indicated that OPEs exhibited a significant migration tendency. Low molecular weight OPEs (< 300 Da) had faster migration efficiency compared to high molecular weight OPEs. The mean migration efficiencies of various OPEs showed a significant negative correlation with their molecular weights (p < 0.01) and a significant positive correlation with temperature (p < 0.01). Except for resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP), which showed almost no migration, the mean migration efficiencies of other OPEs at 25 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C were 3.1–37.5 %, 9.0–60.0 %, and 23.9–80.4 %, respectively. Most of the OPEs demonstrated higher migration efficiency in high-fat content food than low-fat content food. The migration of OPEs from food packaging simulants to foods primarily occurred through contact rather than gas-phase mass transfer. Overall, this study uncovers the migration behaviours of OPEs from food packaging simulants to foods and scrutinized the relevant factors influencing the migration. It is expected that the research in terms of the contamination control of OPEs in food will benefit from this work.

Migration and Safety Aspects of Plastic Food Packaging Materials: Need for Reconsideration?

The aim and the novelty of the present review article was to provide the literature with a collective study focusing on the migration and safety issues in plastic food packaging materials that have been raised in recent years and proposing the use of safer and biodegradable ones. The conventional packaging materials used for the preservation of foods may exhibit many disadvantages that are related to the migration of micromolecular chemical substances incorporated in the packaging material net to the packaged food. There are many chemical substances in the matrix of plastic packaging materials and epoxy-resins that are used in food packaging materials, varnishes, and can coatings. Many migrants have high toxicity, such as acetaldehyde, antimony, antimony (III) oxide, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, tris (2,4-di-tert-butylphenol) phosphate, tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite, bisphenol A, and the plasticizers di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), di-n-butyl phthalate, benzyl-butylphthalate, di-isononylphthalate, and di-isododecylphthalate. It is therefore necessary to take a detailed look at the migrants in conventional packaging materials (plastics) used for foods, point out the migration of certain compounds into foods and the need to reconsider their use, and establish updated protocols for the safety of consumers and the industrial production of biodegradable packaging materials (films or coatings) based on natural sources.

Reuse of used paper egg carton boxes as a source to produce hybrid AgNPs- carboxyl nanocellulose through bio-synthesis and its application in active food packaging

The proper disposal of disposable synthetic plastic food packaging materials presents a significant challenge for both the environment and the solid waste management community. To address this issue, an antibacterial-based high-strength bio-composite serves as the optimal alternative to conventional packaging materials. This study aims to produce a hybrid material of AgNPs-carboxyl cellulose nanocrystals (AgNPs-CCNCs), obtained from used egg carton boxes (UECBs), through bio acid hydrolysis and an in-situ generation process. Furthermore, AgNPs- carboxyl cellulose nanofibers (AgNPs-CCNFs) will be synthesized through a combination of bio acid hydrolysis and ball milling, followed by an additional in-situ generation step. The AgNPs-carboxyl nanocellulose (AgNPs-CCNCs, and AgNPs-CCNFs) exhibited excellent crystallinity index, morphology, thermal, and antibacterial properties. The morphological analysis was performed by electron microscopy, and the results showed the uniform distribution and spherical form of AgNPs appearing over the carboxyl nanocellulose through the in-situ generation process, which was confirmed through XRD analysis. The study further explores the impact of AgNPs-carboxyl nanocellulose on the mechanical, chemical, antibacterial, and thermal properties of the PVA matrix. The results demonstrate that the bio-nanocomposite film offers opportunities for utilization in active packaging applications.

Bio‐based multilayer paperboard for sustainable packaging application

AbstractBio‐based packaging materials are an emerging environment‐friendly alternative to conventional plastic food packaging materials, at least for some applications. The innovation of this work was to develop a sustainable cellulosic packaging material based on chitosan/palmitic acid/activated carbon coating with potential applications for single‐use food packaging. The study developed a multilayer paperboard (MPB), evaluating the effects of a paperboard surface coating by chitosan (2.0% w/w), palmitic acid (1.8% w/w), and activated carbon (1.2% w/w) applied in three coating layers. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of coated paperboard was reduced compared to uncoated paperboard, associated with the coating suspension filling of the pores of the cellulosic matrix, the palmitic acid hydrophobic characteristic, and the nonpolar nature of activated carbon (acted by repelling the vapor molecules of water). A grease resistance of Kit solution 11 of MPB was observed. The stiffness and elongation capacity increased, indicating the rigidity and flexibility of the MPB. The deposition of palmitic acid and activated carbon influenced the roughness increase. The biodegradability in the soil after 188 days of MPB was 55.01%, and the control (uncoated paperboard) was 69.38%. The coating did not impact the degradation behavior of cellulose.

Migration of Dihydroxy Alkylamines and Their Possible Impurities from Packaging into Foods and Food Simulants: Analysis and Safety Evaluation.

Alkyl diethanolamines are a group of compounds commonly used as antistatic agents in plastic food packaging materials. These additives and their possible impurities have the ability to transfer into the food; hence, the consumer may be exposed to these chemicals. Recently, scientific evidence of unknown adverse effects associated with these compounds was reported. N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)alkyl (C8-C18) amines as well as other related compounds and their possible impurities were analyzed in different plastic packaging materials and coffee capsules using target and non-target LC-MS methods. N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)alkyl amines, precisely, C12, C13, C14, C15, C16, C17 and C18, 2-(octadecylamino)ethanol and octadecylamine, among others, were identified in most of the analyzed samples. It should be emphasized that the latter compounds are not listed in the European Regulation 10/2011 and 2-(octadecylamino)ethanol was classified as high toxicity according to Cramer rules. Migration tests were carried out in foods and in the food simulants Tenax and 20% ethanol (v/v). The results showed that stearyldiethanolamine migrated into the tomato, salty biscuits, salad and Tenax. Lastly, as a crucial step in the risk assessment process, the dietary exposure to stearyldiethanolamine transferred from the food packaging into the food was determined. The estimated values ranged from 0.0005 to 0.0026 µg/kg bw/day.

A survey of phthalates in flavored olive oils from Turkey

Phthalates are organic contaminants that are used as plasticizers in many plastic food packaging materials. Because of their lipophilic character, oils are the primary source of human exposure to phthalates. In this study, the presence of five phthalate esters; diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) in olive oils flavored with different materials and marketed in Turkey in 2020 was determined. The samples included BBP, DINP, DIDP at lower concentrations than their LOQ. DEHP was the most abundant phthalate in all samples at varying concentrations between &lt; LOQ to 1.81 mg/kg. The highest amount of DEHP was found in the oil sample flavored with bergamot (1.81 mg/kg). DBP was detected in 9 of the 25 samples at concentrations from 0.11 to 0.27 mg/kg.

Analytical techniques for determination of heavy metal migration from different types of locally made plastic food packaging materials using ICP-MS.

Plastic food packaging is an essential element for customer convenience and the preservation of food quality. Nonetheless, heavy metals in the packaging materials, either intentionally or nonintentionally added, can be transferred to the food. Therefore, determining heavy metal contents in these packaging materials is essential. In this study, heavy metals, including Co, Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Pb, Al, and Zn from different intrinsic plastic food packaging materials were analyzed using the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. Moreover, the migration of these elements into the environment was also investigated. This method is validated following the new technique's requirements, which include linearity range, accuracy, precision, the limit of detection (LOD), and the limit of quantitation (LOQ). The method has been suitably validated with the regression equation from the standards prepared in HNO3 1% v/v. The linear range was found to be ~1-20 ng mL-1 for Co, Ge, As, Cd, Sb, and Pb and 5-80 ng mL-1 for Al and Zn elements. The LODs are ~0.10, 0.25, 0.12, 0.13, 0.11, 0.12, 0.61, and 0.85 ng mL-1, and the LOQs are 0.33, 0.83, 0.40, 0.43, 0.36, 0.40, 2.01, and 2.81 ng mL-1 obtained for Co, Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Pb, Al, and Zn, respectively. In addition, the recovery percentages received ranged 85.4%-94.1% for Co, 82.6%-95.1% for Ge, 86.3%-97.9% for As, 87.3%-96.3% for Cd, 88.0%-104.4% for Sb, 96.3%-106.0% for Pb, 88.4%-104.0% for Al, and 95.1%-99.7% for Zn. Finally, the migration of these heavy metals from polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) into foodstuffs was also simulated according to EU legislation, showing that the most leached element was Zn, followed by Al and Pd, with the migration of ~8.38% and ~0.41%, and ~0.19%, respectively.

Migration of microplastics from plastic packaging into foods and its potential threats on human health.

Microplastics from food packaging material have risen in number and dispersion in the aquatic system, the terrestrial environment, and the atmosphere in recent decades. Microplastics are of particular concern due to their long-term durability in the environment, their great potential for releasing plastic monomers and additives/chemicals, and their vector-capacity for adsorbing or collecting other pollutants. Consumption of foods containing migrating monomers can lead to accumulation in the body and the build-up of monomers in the body can trigger cancer. The book chapter focuses the commercial plastic food packaging materials and describes their release mechanisms of microplastics from packaging into foods. To prevent the potential risk of microplastics migrated into food products, the factors influencing microplastic to the food products, e.g., high temperatures, ultraviolet and bacteria, have been discussed. Additionally, as many evidences shows that the microplastic components are toxic and carcinogenic, the potential threats and negative effects on human health have also been highlighted. Moreover, future trends is summarized to reduce the microplastic migration by enhancing public awareness as well as improving waste management.

Migration analysis and health impact assessment of phthalates in takeaway food packaging materials

AbstractPlasticizers are commonly utilized as packaging additives in the food service industry. The takeaway food sector provides convenience to consumers, but also raises the risk of human exposure to plasticizers. The goal of this study is to determine the amount of phthalates in takeaway food packaging and compare the migration amounts under various situations. A comprehensive health impact assessment of phthalates was conducted to provide the evaluation of human's daily exposure to phthalates. The results revealed that five phthalates (di (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP)) could be detected in n‐hexane extract of plastic food packaging materials at room temperature. High amount of phthalates was correlated with high temperature or in an oily food simulant solvent. Phthalate contents in dietary exposure did not surpass the concentration that could represent a risk to human health, based on the dietary exposure evaluation.

순환경제 관점에서 본 플라스틱 식품포장재 재활용의 안전성에 관한 고찰

Advances in food packaging play an important role in keeping food manufacturing and food supply safe. Food packaging facilitates the storage, handling, transportation and preservation of food, and also contributes to the minimization of food waste. On the other hand, food packaging materials have high production volumes, short usage times, and accelerate the occurrence of environmental problems related to waste. The circular economy has already been introduced to pursue sustainability through resource conservation and recycling, and to reduce waste and carbon emissions. By activating an eco-friendly economic system that minimizes resource depletion and environmental pollution, reducing, reusing, recycling and redesigning the goals of the circular economy will reduce the impact of food packaging on the environment. This review focused on the safety aspects of recycled food packaging as recycling is currently considered an important means of packaging waste management. Assessing the safety of recycled packaging is very important because recycling can increase the levels of potentially hazardous chemicals in packaging and in the food after they are migrated. Various food packaging materials such as plastic, paper and cardboard, aluminum, steel, and multi-material multi-layers packaging are commonly used, but only the recycling safety of plastic food packaging materials, which is the most used and has a significant increase in post-use problem, is discussed in this review.

Risk governance in the transition towards sustainability, the case of bio-based plastic food packaging materials

In the transition to a sustainable society, many new technologies and materials are developed. These often have disadvantages, examples thereof with a sustainability claim that entailed risks to public health are identified. Risk Governance should ideally address and deal with those potential risks. However, governance mechanisms to efficiently deal with these risks seem to be lacking. In this study, the Risk Governance in the lifecycle of three innovative bio-based plastic food contact materials (FCMs) were evaluated. Interviews were conducted with representatives of all stages in the lifecycle to identify risk management strategies to prevent or control public health risk. Experts were asked to share their views on the identified strategies. Nineteen different risk management strategies have been identified from the three case studies and compared with the principles of the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) framework and showed that less than 50% corresponded to those of the IRGC framework. In addition, eighteen randomly sampled bio-based FCMs were chemically analysed to get insight in the presence of potentially hazardous substances. The presence of hazardous chemicals in the bio-based FCMs provide indications of potential chemical health risks. Apparently, there is no structural application of risk governance in the three bio-based FCM studied. Strategies are applied to manage public health risks, but these are usually implemented too limited to effectively manage the identified risks.

A review on safety inspection and research of plastic food packaging materials in Taiwan

Plastics for food packaging are polymers made from monomers and with additives to enhance the technical properties of final products. Some non-reacted monomers and potential mobile additives may be present in plastic products, and may migrate into contact with foods during storage, cooking or serving as potential sources of contamination. For the regulation of these compounds, the residual and migration limits are set by the authority in Taiwan, based on their extent of migration from plastic products and their toxicological properties. This report reviewed the management for 7 kinds of common plastic food packaging materials, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, Polyvinylchloride (PVC), polycarbonate and plastics with formaldehyde as raw materials for synthesis, and their sanitation inspection from 1983 to 2010. A total of 1,623 food-contact plastic samples have been inspected according to the Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages announced by the Taiwan Department of Health. Among them, 99 samples and 52 samples were not in accordance with the regulation of the material test and the migration test, respectively. These samples mostly had printing ink on the food-contact surfaces or have rough and cracking surfaces due to incomplete process of final products. In addition, endocrine disrupters in plastics, such as phthalates, bisphenol A and nonylphenol, were studied. Testing methods of those compounds have been developed, and the migration tests for the related food-contact plastic products were also conducted. The results indicated PVC-made products were worth being noticed in respect of phthalates and nonylphenol, and consumers should avoid using PVC-made products for fatty foods.

Ultrasensitive determination of organotin compounds in plastic food packaging and edible oils by sheathless capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

The determination of trace-amount organotins in plastic food packaging materials is of great significance in food safety. However, due to the complexity of organotins and sample treatment processes, it is still a challenging task. Here, we report a method for the sensitive and simultaneous determination of organotins in plastic food packaging materials and edible oils, by utilizing sheathless capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The method of sample pretreatment with ultrasonic extraction and solid phase extraction is used to eliminate interference. The results showed low limits of detection (LODs) of 2 pg mL-1-50 pg mL-1 and excellent inter/intra-day repeatability. Good average recoveries in the range of 80.27% to 108.52% were obtained at three spiked concentrations, with a relative standard deviation less than 8.71%. The successful simultaneous determination of the target analytes will pave the way for further assessment of contamination and migration behaviour of organotins from packaging materials to food, which is of great significance for evaluating and controlling food safety.

Dispersive solid-phase extraction of bisphenols migrated from plastic food packaging materials with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-intercalated zinc oxide

The migration of bisphenols (BPs) can take place from plastic packaging materials into freshly cooked takeaway food, especially at high temperatures. In this study, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-intercalated zinc oxide (ZnO@CTAB) was developed and used to extract the migration of BPs (bisphenol A and bisphenol AF) from disposable plastic materials to contained food simulates. Several experimental parameters that influence extraction efficiency were investigated. Under optimal conditions, a sensitive dispersive solid-phase extraction method based on ZnO@CTAB was proposed for the analysis of BPs coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The method exhibited good linearity of calibration, high recovery (97.63–109.33%), low limits of detection 0.027–0.030 μg L−1, and acceptable precisions. The developed method was used to carry out a migration test from two disposable plastic bags and a disposable plastic container, using distilled water at 100 °C as a hot liquid food simulant. The migration concentrations of bisphenol AF was found to be 0.42 μg L−1 and 0.86 μg L−1 for the two types of disposable plastic bags, and the concentration of bisphenol A was 0.49 μg L−1 for disposable plastic container. The proposed method was also applied to investigate the migration of BPAF from the disposable plastic bags to different food simulants, revealing that the release of BPAF levels depended on the polarity of the liquid food components.

Sensitive detection of benzophenone-type ultraviolet filters in plastic food packaging materials by sheathless capillary electrophoresis–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry

While they are commonly used as ultraviolet (UV) filters in plastic food packaging materials, benzophenones (BPs) are reported as environmental endocrine disruptors, and some of them possess significant estrogenic activity. Therefore sensitive determination of the content of those UV filters in plastic polymers is of vital importance in safety assessment of food packaging materials. Here, the sheathless capillary electrophoresis–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (CE–ESI–MS/MS) method is applied for the first time to sensitively detect BP-type UV filters in plastic food packaging materials. We investigate and optimize a variety of factors that may affect ESI–MS efficiency and CE separation. Sensitive detection of six BP-type UV filters is achieved using sheathless CE–ESI–MS/MS in conjunction with accelerated solvent extraction and solid phase extraction, with the limit-of-detection of 7 pg/mL–2.4 ng/mL. The method exhibits excellent inter/intra-day repeatability along with the advantages of efficient separation, rapid analysis, low sample consumption and high sensitivity. Six BP-type UV filters in eight different brands of plastic films obtained from supermarkets are successfully analyzed using the method. Good recoveries of 81.3–104.1% at three levels of spiked concentrations are achieved with low RSDs (n = 5) of 2.5–8.7%. Our study shows that the sheathless CE–ESI–MS/MS is a robust and reliable method for sensitive and rapid analysis of UV filters, which would be of potential application in safety assessment of plastic food packaging materials.

Rechargeable Antibacterial N-Halamine Films with Antifouling Function for Food Packaging Applications.

Pathogenic microbial contamination from microbial adhesion and subsequent formation of the biofilm on surfaces of plastic food packaging materials, especially with robust resistance to antimicrobial agents, is a major reason for the outbreak of foodborne infections. Conventional strategies in controlling the contaminations are significantly limited either by biofouling or by the irreversible consumption of antimicrobial agents. Herein, we report a robust methodology to create rechargeable biocidal poly(vinyl alcohol- co-ethylene) films (SBMA@HAF films) with antifouling function via chemically incorporating both N-halamine (HAF) and zwitterionic moieties [[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA)]. The promise of the design exhibits three features to defeat bacterial contaminations: (i) zwitterionic moieties can effectively reduce bacterial attachment onto the films, (ii) N-halamine with robust rechargeable biocidal activity can rapidly kill any attached bacteria, and (iii) any inactivated bacterial debris can be easily released to avoid biofilm formation due to the superhydrophilicity of the zwitterions. The resulting SBMA@HAF films exhibit integrated properties of high transparency, robust mechanical property, great hydrophilicity, ease of chlorine recharging (>250 ppm), long-term stability, high biocidal efficacy (>99.9999% via contact killing), and promising antifouling functions, which enable the SBMA@HAF films to serve as a biocidal material in food packaging applications.

Isolation, Characterization and Structural Elucidation of Polybutylene Terephthalate Cyclic Oligomers and Purity Assessment Using a 1H qNMR Method

The use of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) as a food contact material is increasing over the last years. Typical contaminations in the final PBT product include its cyclic oligomers, which are allowed as additives in food contact plastics according to Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011. Their investigation is currently limited by the lack of analytical standards and physical-chemical information. Therefore, four PBT cyclic oligomers have been isolated and purified from a PBT raw material with an automated preparative HPLC-DAD system. Comprehensive characterization of the compounds was performed using Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) with high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The purity of each oligomer was assessed using a 1H qNMR method and ranged from 96.1% to 97.0% for PBT tetramer and trimer respectively. The availability of pure and well characterized PBT cyclic oligomer standards will facilitate future studies of release from plastic food packaging materials.

Degradability and sustainability of nanocomposites based on polylactic acid and chitin nano fibrils

Plastic food packaging materials currently in use are hardly recyclable and very often post consume plastic packaging is directed to incineration or landfill. Use of bio-recyclable plastic will have positive effect on environment, and is gaining importance in particular for the production of active packaging, where a longer shelf-life of the packed food, coupled with improved sustainability can justify the higher cost of biodegradable polymers versus current petro based polymers used in packaging. Among other biodegradable polymers polylactic acid (PLA) has attracted researcher and industries attention for the production of plastic food packaging. In the present contribute we report a study to evaluate the degradability in compost of some representative examples of materials prepared with PLA and chitin nano-fibrils (NC). Since blending a biodegradable polymer with an active compound might hinder the compost ability of the materials produced, it is important to perform test of degradability on innovative materials even if based on biobased and biodegradable components. As well the production of bio-based, biodegradable materials when based on innovative processes, may present several steps that may have a negative effect on sustainability being not optimised in yield, energy consumption and proper valorization of each stream generated in the process. A life cycle assessment study is very important to spot the critical steps in the process and propose corrective actions in the production cycle in order to make the final material more sustainable. The materials based on PLA and NC passed the test of disintegration in compost, evidencing no toxicity on germination of cress seeds. The process of production of NC fibrils, was mostly affected by the high consume of water, and use of chemicals thus plans for recovery and re-use of the water based buffer will improve the sustainability of the process. The bio-nanocomposites based on PLA and NC have a positive environmental effect due to being based on natural resources and having compost ability as possible end of life scenario.

Simultaneous determination of six fluorescent whitening agents in plastic and paper packaging materials by high performance liquid chromatography

A novel analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of six fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs:FWA 135, FWA 184, FWA 185, FWA 199, FWA 378 and FWA 393) in paper and plastic food packaging materials by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). The sample was extracted with mixed solution of chloroform and acetonitrile (3:7, v/v), then cleaned up by HLB solid phase extraction column. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out by HPLC. The sample was separated on a Phenomenex C18 column using acetonitrile and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution as mobile phases. The results indicated that the linear range of FWA393 was 15-1500 μg/L and the linear ranges of the other five FWAs were 5-500 μg/L with correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The recoveries in spiked samples were between 80.4% and 125.0% with RSDs (n=6) of 1%-13%. Furthermore, this method was applied to analyze 12 samples in the market to verify the practicality of the method. The method showed the advantages of simplicity, high recovery and good precision, and is suitable for the detection of the six fluorescent whitening agents in food packaging materials.