- Author
-
Chang, S. S.
|
Senich, G. A.
|
Smith, L. E.
- Title
- Migration of Low Molecular Weight Additives in Poloyefins and Copolymers. Final report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
-
NBSIR 82-2472
March 1982
259 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847; Website: http://www.ntis.gov
- Keywords
-
food additives
|
food packaging
- Identifiers
- tracer techniques; numerical solution
- Abstract
- Food packaging is an inseparable part of modern life. Any substance that migrates from the packaging material into foods is viewed as indirect food additives. In connection with toxicological knowledge, it is important to know the amount of such indirect food additives expected to be present in the food during storage and processing. This program, sponsored by the Bureau of Foods of the Food and Drug Administration is to provide theoretical models, reliable data base, methodology to study the migration phenomena and to provide reasonable worst-case estimates for the concentrations of the indirect additives in food. In this final report, the authors present the results of approximately 250 completed migration experiments based on radiotracer techniques on the migration of low molecular weight hydrocarbons and antioxidants from polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. Results of a study for the determination of relative diffusion coefficients of several probe molecules in the polyethylene melt by inverse gas chromatography are also presented. Based on these studies, ethanol appears to be a far more reasonable food-oil stimulating solvent than n-heptane. Other pure or mixed triglycerides may also be considered as food-oil simulating solvents, however they may pose the same analytical difficulties as that of the food oil itself.