Zhang, Nan. Development and validation of generic food packaging migration testing analytical methodology. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-ce3x-nd20
DescriptionFood packaging plays an important role in our daily life. Global regulatory agencies have established different food packaging regulations that mandate manufacturers to perform related analytical testing to ensure food safety. The rapid introduction of new materials and technologies to complex food packaging matrices brought great challenges for developing analytical testing procedures that can demonstrate regulation compliance. This study aimed to help food packaging manufacturers develop a battery of generic, fast, efficient, and cost-effective analytical methodologies for their routine food packaging analyses. The battery approach included a decision tree dependent non-targeted screening analyses and targeted quantitation analyses utilizing gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analytical techniques. Eight representative commercial food packaging samples intended for different applications were analyzed using the developed approach to exemplify its efficacy. Notable migrants from each packaging material such as plasticizers, slip additives, antioxidants, photoinitiators, and monomers were identified and discussed for their origins, mechanism of migration, and degradation pathways. Novel compounds such as tetramethyl bisphenol F and Weston 705 type migrants were reported for the first time in this research. Targeted method validation of 14 selected compounds was presented including linearity of calibration, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, spiking and recovery from food simulant matrices, accuracy, and precision. The identified compounds in this study can provide important references for food packaging manufacturers who need to identify migrants from their products. The developed approach also can be used in their routine analytical and quality control procedures design and development.