Migration of non intentionally added substances from adhesives by UPLC–Q‐TOF/MS and the role of EVOH to avoid migration in multilayer packaging materials

Polyurethane adhesives are commonly used to laminate multilayer packaging materials for food. Since these materials are in direct contact with the food, compounds could migrate from adhesive into it. For this reason, it is important to identify all the potential migrants and verify their migration. Ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time‐of‐flight–mass spectrometry analyses and ChemSpider database are used to identify the potential migrants from polyurethane adhesives, and these techniques were demonstrated to be very powerful and useful tools for this purpose. Migration tests were carried out using Tenax® as food simulant. Nine out of fifteen non‐volatile compounds, identified in the cured adhesives, migrated. Most of them were identified as cyclic compounds, adipic based, which is the most commonly used monomer to make the polyester/polyol resins for polyurethane bi‐component adhesives. In this work, the use of EvOH layer in several multilayer materials to minimize or avoid migration was evaluated too. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analytical tools for identification of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) coming from polyurethane adhesives in multilayer packaging materials and their migration into food simulants

Adhesives used in food packaging to glue different materials can provide several substances as potential migrants, and the identification of potential migrants and migration tests are required to assess safety in the use of adhesives. Solid-phase microextraction in headspace mode and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and ChemSpider and SciFinder databases were used as powerful tools to identify the potential migrants in the polyurethane (PU) adhesives and also in the individual plastic films (polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene/ethyl vinyl alcohol). Migration tests were carried out by using Tenax(?) and isooctane as food simulants, and the migrants were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. More than 63 volatile and semivolatile compounds considered as potential migrants were detected either in the adhesives or in the films. Migration tests showed two non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) coming from PU adhesives that migrated through the laminates into Tenax(?) and into isooctane. Identification of these NIAS was achieved through their mass spectra, and 1,6-dioxacyclododecane-7,12-dione and 1,4,7-trioxacyclotridecane-8,13-dione were confirmed. Caprolactam migrated into isooctane, and its origin was the external plastic film in the multilayer, demonstrating real diffusion through the multilayer structure. Comparison of the migration values between the simulants and conditions will be shown and discussed.     

Contaminant migration from food packaging laminates used for heat and eat meals

EU legislation requires that components from food contact plastics should not migrate significantly into the food. The nature and extent of species migrating from laminated materials used for packaging 'heat and eat' meals have been investigated. Selected target analytes included additives incorporated into the polyolefin, e.g. the Irganox and Irgafos antioxidants, the diisocyanate and polyol residues from the adhesive and oligomeric material from the nylon. The results identified a wide range of migrants arising from each of the individual components of the laminate. Some of the migrants have been identified as precursors of the principal components of the laminate as well as those anticipated from a knowledge of the laminate construction. The levels of migration for those components identified and quantified has been well below the legal limits. Some significant migrant species have been however left unidentified by this investigation.     

Identification of non-volatile compounds and their migration from hot melt adhesives used in food packaging materials characterized by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The identification of unknown non-volatile migrant compounds from adhesives used in food contact materials is a very challenging task because of the number of possible compounds involved, given that adhesives are complex mixtures of chemicals. The use of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/QTOF) is shown to be a successful tool for identifying non-targeted migrant compounds from two hot melt adhesives used in food packaging laminates. Out of the seven migrants identified and quantified, five were amides and one was a compound classified in Class II of the Cramer toxicity. None of the migration values exceeded the recommended Cramer exposure values.     

Contaminant migration from food packaging laminates used for heat and eat meals

EU legislation requires that components from food contact plastics should not migrate significantly into the food. The nature and extent of species migrating from laminated materials used for packaging heat and eat meals have been investigated. Selected target analytes included additives incorporated into the polyolefin, e.g. the Irganox and Irgafos antioxidants, the diisocyanate and polyol residues from the adhesive and oligomeric material from the nylon. The results identified a wide range of migrants arising from each of the individual components of the laminate. Some of the migrants have been identified as precursors of the principal components of the laminate as well as those anticipated from a knowledge of the laminate construction. The levels of migration for those components identified and quantified has been well below the legal limits. Some significant migrant species have been however left unidentified by this investigation.     

Contamination in food from packaging material

Packaging has become an indispensible element in the food manufacturing process, and different types of additives, such as antioxidants, stabilizers, lubricants, anti-static and anti-blocking agents, have also been developed to improve the performance of polymeric packaging materials. Recently the packaging has been found to represent a source of contamination itself through the migration of substances from the packaging into food. Various analytical methods have been developed to analyze the migrants in the foodstuff, and migration evaluation procedures based on theoretical prediction of migration from plastic food contact material were also introduced recently. In this paper, the regulatory control, analytical methodology, factors affecting the migration and migration evaluation are reviewed.     

A reversible water-based electrostatic adhesive

Commercial adhesives typically fall into two categories: structural or pressure sensitive. Structural glues rely on covalent bonds formed during curing and provide high tensile strength whilst pressure-sensitive adhesives use physical bonding to provide weaker adhesion, but with considerable convenience for the user. Here, a new class of adhesive is presented that is also reversible, with a bond strength intermediate between those of pressure-sensitive and structural adhesives. Complementary water-based formulations incorporating oppositely charged polyelectrolytes form electrostatic bonds that may be reversed through immersion in a low or high pH aqueous environment. This electrostatic adhesive has the advantageous property that it exhibits good adhesion to low-energy surfaces such as polypropylene. Furthermore, it is produced by the emulsion copolymerization of commodity materials, styrene and butyl acrylate, which makes it inexpensive and opens the possibility of industrial production. Bio-based materials have been also integrated into the formulations to further increase sustainability. Moreover, unlike other water-based glues, adhesion does not significantly degrade in humid environments. Because such electrostatic adhesives do not require mechanical detachment, they are appropriate for the large-scale recycling of, e.g., bottle labels or food packaging. The adhesive is also suitable for dismantling components in areas as varied as automotive parts and electronics.     

食品包装材料上油墨中残留烷基苯成分分析及其迁移性的GC-MS研究

建立了一种食品包装材料上多色油墨中残留烷基苯成分的提取和气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)分析方法. 采用选择离子检测(SIM)模式, 以内标定量法对某些食品包装材料上多色油墨中烷基苯残留量进行了准确定量分析. 对油墨中残留烷基苯向食品中迁移的初步研究结果表明, 包装材料上油墨中的苯及苯系物等有害物质可能透过薄膜进入食品而造成污染.     

聚苯乙烯提取物的检测与评价

随着材料科学的迅速发展,聚合物材料以不同的形态越来越广泛地应用于食品包装中。但是由于聚合物材料自身的特性及其改性加工,导致了很多低分子量化合物的形成,因而给食品安全性带来很大隐患,也危害着人们的身体健康。为了解决这一问题,在选用材料前,必须分析聚合物材料中低分子化合物的迁移情况,考虑迁移过程对包材使用的影响。实验中选用正庚烷、8%乙醇、50%乙醇和蒸馏水作为食品模拟液,用气相色谱测定聚苯乙烯提取物的迁移量,进而将实验数据分析比较。结果显示,迁移量随着温度的升高和时间的延长而不断增加,溶剂种类的影响为:正庚烷>50%乙醇>8%乙醇>蒸馏水。     

食品包装材料中双酚A在食品模拟物中迁移规律的研究

食品塑料包装材料的安全是保障食品安全的重要一环,包装材料中的双酚A潜在迁移性对人体健康的危害已引起社会的关注. 分别选取蒸馏水、3%乙酸(体积分数)和10%乙醇(体积分数)3种食品模拟物,浸泡已知双酚A含量的食品包装材料,在一定的时间点测试浸泡液中双酚A含量,研究迁移量与模拟物之间的关系. 结果表明,在不同食品模拟物下包装材料中双酚A的迁移量不同,其特定迁移量顺序为10%乙醇溶液>3 %乙酸溶液>蒸馏水. 并研究了温度、时间及微波作用影响食品包装材料中双酚A向食品中的迁移量,结果表明,双酚A向食品中迁移量随接触时间的延长、温度的升高而增加,微波作用能显著提高包装材料中双酚A向食品中的迁移量.     

Properties of adhesives and adhesive materials used in aviation industry

Methods for developing adhesives and adhesive material used in the structures of almost all units of aviation machinery are described step by step. The properties of high-strength film-forming adhesives; adhesive prepregs; sandwich-type aluminum-polymer materials (SIALs); cold- and hot-setting adhesives intended for gluing metals, different nonmetallic materials, and combined joints; and self-adhesive film materials of ZPPK and FAS grades are given. It is also shown where and for which purposes these adhesives are applied.     

Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography coupled to quadrupole‐time of flight mass spectrometry as a tool for identification of volatile migrants from autoadhesive labels used for direct food contact

Pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSA) are used to manufacture labels that are applied directly on the food. These adhesives could contain not only intentionally added compounds (IAS) to the adhesive formula but also non‐intentionally added substances (NIAS), due to the impurities from the raw materials used, decomposition of the initial components or from chemical interactions between them. These compounds could migrate to the food and contaminate it. In this study, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS/Q) and atmospheric pressure gas chromatography coupled to a quadrupole hyphenated to a time of flight mass spectrometer (APGC‐MS/Q‐TOF) have been used for identification of unknown compounds and NIAS coming from a PSA. Seven compounds were identified by GC‐MS/Q, and other eight compounds remained initially unknown. The structure of these eight new compounds was elucidated by working with the spectra obtained by APGC‐MS/Q‐TOF. Finally, two different migration studies were carried out. The first one with Tenax as solid food simulant in contact with the paper label containing the adhesive and the second one with isooctane filled in a natural pork intestine where the label containing the adhesive was applied on the external side. The results are shown and discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

纺织品与食品包装材料中烷基酚及双酚A迁移量的液相色谱-串联质谱分析

建立了纺织品与食品包装材料中烷基酚及双酚A迁移量的液相色谱-串联质谱分析方法.纺织品和食品包装材料浸泡液经Supelclean Envi-Carb石墨化碳黑固相萃取柱净化,以Waters XBridge C_(18)(150 mm×2.1 mm,3.5 μm)色谱柱分离后,进行LC-MS/MS多反应监测模式下的定性及定量分析.烷基酚和双酚A在纺织品模拟汗液、食品模拟物介质中特定迁移量的定量下限分别为2、4 μg/kg.在低、中、高3个添加水平下,测得纺织品样品的回收率为83%～91%,相对标准偏差为4.1%～9.0%;食品包装材料样品的回收率为82%～94%,相对标准偏差为3.9%～8.7%.     

Identification and quantification of odorous compounds from adhesives used in food packaging materials by headspace solid phase extraction and headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–olfactometry–mass spectrometry

Adhesives are often responsible for off-flavors in food in contact with packaging. The aim of this investigation was to identify by GC–O–MS the odorous compounds in five different types of adhesive (hotmelt, vinyl acetate ethylene, starch, polyvinyl acetate and acrylic) used in food packaging. In order to obtain a substantial number of compounds, they were extracted by two complementary extraction methods: HS-SPE and HS-SPME. Fifteen minutes extraction time using PDMS fiber for hotmelt adhesive and DVD/CAR/PDMS fiber for the other adhesives were the best conditions for defining a representative solvent-free adhesive extract using a rapid and simple D-GC–O technique. Thirty-three compounds were identified by GC–O–MS. These include butyric acid, acetic acid, methyl butyrate, 1-butanol and nonanal, which were present in most of the adhesives under study producing cheesy, rancid, sour, medicinal and green aromas, respectively. The concentrations were determined, the most abundant compound being acetic acid with concentrations from 22.9 to 8930 μg g⁻¹ of adhesive.     

微波条件下双酚A向食品模拟物的迁移研究

采用气相色谱-质谱联用法研究了微波条件对食品接触材料中双酚A在水、乙酸（3%,体积分数）、乙醇（10%,体积分数）、橄榄油4种食品模拟物中迁移行为的影响。在微波加热下,食品快速升温并能将热量传递给外部包装,从而加速包装材料中双酚A向食品的迁移。研究了不同微波温度、时间和功率下双酚A在4种食品模拟物中的迁移规律,结果表明：微波对双酚A迁移有显著影响,迁移量随着微波温度、时间和功率的增加而增加。在相同加热温度和时间条件下,微波加热方式中双酚A在4种食品模拟物种的迁移量均高于水浴加热。     

Determination of primary aromatic amines in water food simulant using solid-phase analytical derivatization followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Solid phase analytical derivatization with trifluoroacetic anhydride has been introduced as sample preparation for the determination of primary aromatic amines in water by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Water was used as a food simulant for testing migration from laminated flexible food packaging materials. The method was evaluated for 8 primary aromatic amines in 200 ml water samples, which resulted in detection limits in the 0.1-0.4 microg/l range, relative standard deviations in the 4-17% range and acceptable linearity (R2 = 0.997-1.000). Detectable levels of 2,4-diaminotoluene, 2,6-diaminotoluene and 4,4'-methylenedianiline were found in water food simulant from some of the investigated food packaging materials.     

Aromatic amines from polyurethane adhesives in food packaging: The challenge of identification and pattern recognition using Quadrupole-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry

Toxic primary aromatic amines (PAAs) are reaction products from residual isocyanates in polyurethane adhesives. The maximum migration level of the total sum of PAAs is 10 ng g⁻¹ of food. This paper reports on a method for quantification of 18 PAAs by UHPLC–MS/MS that was optimised and applied to a series of industrial laminates prepared from polyurethane adhesives. Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), impurities and other migrants were identified by Q-TOF/MS^E. A comparison of the quantitative values obtained by the colorimetric method using NEDA and by UHPLC–MS/MS confirmed that the first method can overestimate the quantification of PAAs. This could be attributed to the impurities and other NIAS present in the plastic laminate. Values of R² in the analytical characteristics of UHPLC–MS/MS were obtained, the best value being 0.9964 and the most unfavourable 0.7626. The detection limit (LOD) and the quantification limit (LOQ) were 2 pg g⁻¹ and 7 pg g⁻¹, respectively. The stability of the PAAs over time in the acidic simulant in contact with the plastic laminate is also reported.     

Multiphase thermoplastic hybrid for controlled release of antimicrobial essential oils in active packaging film

Active packaging, a new technology concept in the field of food packaging, has been introduced in recent years in order to provide quality and safety, as well as extend the shelf life of food products. Antimicrobial (AM) agents can be incorporated directly into the active packaging and migrate in a controlled manner to the headspace between the food and the package, inhibiting bacteria growth on the food surface. Naturally derived AM agent, such as essential oils (EOs), has received considerable attention for food preservation purposes, because of their effective AM activity against various bacteria and fungi. In the present study, AM active film systems based on polypropylene/polyamide blends, montmorillonite nanoclays, and thymol EO were produced to investigate the feasibility of controlling the release rate of thymol from food packaging systems. Selective localization of thymol in a specific phase in the system that derives from thermodynamic affinity was assumed to be useful in controlling its migration rate from the film to the headspace. EO retention in the film under two different time conditions was measured by spectroscopic analysis. The release rate of EO was determined using Gas chromatography technique and analyzed by diffusion model approach. Inhibition of bacterial growth was periodically tested for Listeria and Escherichia coli bacteria. This study confirms the thermodynamic affinity of polyamide phase with thymol that has a positive effect in retaining the EO. Results show controlled AM behavior of the active packaging films, based on various blend compositions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Specific determination of 20 primary aromatic amines in aqueous food simulants by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-analyte method without any pre-treatment steps using reversed-phase liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed and applied for the determination of 20 primary aromatic amines (PAA) associated with polyurethane (PUR) products or azo-colours. The method was validated in-house for water and 3% acetic acid food simulants using spiked migrates from plastic laminates. Detection limits ranged from 0.27 to 3 microg amine/L food simulants, and RSD values of within-laboratory reproducibility at the 2 microg PAA/L level ranged from 3.9 to 19%. PAA migration from plastic laminates and black nylon cooking utensils were determined with the method, and high levels of 4,4'-methylenedianiline and aniline were found in migrates from about half of the tested cooking utensils. The method fulfils present legislative demands in the EU for screening and verification of PAA migration from food contact materials.     

Development and Characterization of Functional Starch-Based Films Incorporating Free or Microencapsulated Spent Black Tea Extract

Antioxidant polyphenols in black tea residue are an underused source of bioactive compounds. Microencapsulation can turn them into a valuable functional ingredient for different food applications. This study investigated the potential of using spent black tea extract (SBT) as an active ingredient in food packaging. Free or microencapsulated forms of SBT, using a pectin–sodium caseinate mixture as a wall material, were incorporated in a cassava starch matrix and films developed by casting. The effect of incorporating SBT at different polyphenol contents (0.17% and 0.34%) on the structural, physical, and antioxidant properties of the films, the migration of active compounds into different food simulants and their performance at preventing lipid oxidation were evaluated. The results showed that adding free SBT modified the film structure by forming hydrogen bonds with starch, creating a less elastic film with antioxidant activity (173 and 587 µg(GAE)/g film). Incorporating microencapsulated SBT improved the mechanical properties of active films and preserved their antioxidant activity (276 and 627 µg(GAE)/g film). Encapsulates significantly enhanced the release of antioxidant polyphenols into both aqueous and fatty food simulants. Both types of active film exhibited better barrier properties against UV light and water vapour than the control starch film and delayed lipid oxidation up to 35 d. This study revealed that starch film incorporating microencapsulated SBT can be used as a functional food packaging to protect fatty foods from oxidation.