Analytical approaches for analysis of safety of modern food packaging: A review

Nowadays, food packaging is a crucial tool for preserving food quality and has become an inseparable part of our daily life. Strong consumer demand and market trends enforce more advanced and creative forms of food packaging. New packaging development requires safety evaluations that always implicate the application of complex analytical methods. The present work reviews the development and application of new analytical methods for detection of possible food contaminants from the packaging origin on the quality and safety of fresh food. Among food contaminants migrants, set-off migrants from printing inks, polymer degradation products, and aromatic volatile compounds can be found that may compromise the safety and organoleptic properties of food. The list of possible chemical migrants is very wide and includes antioxidants, antimicrobials, intentionally added substances (IAS), non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), monomers, oligomers, and nanoparticles. All this information collected prior to the analysis will influence the type of analyzing samples and molecules (analytes) and therefore the selection of a convenient analytical method. Different analytical strategies will be discussed, including techniques for direct polymer analysis

Combination of structure databases, In silico fragmentation, and MS/MS libraries for untargeted screening of non-volatile migrants from recycled high-density polyethylene milk bottles

Chemical contamination is one of the major obstacles for mechanical recycling of plastics. In this article, we built and open-sourced an in-house MS/MS library containing more than 500 plastic-related chemicals and developed mspcompiler, an R package, for the compilation of various libraries. We then proposed a workflow to process untargeted screening data acquired by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. These tools were subsequently employed to data originating from recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) obtained from milk bottles. A total of 83 compounds were identified, with 66 easily annotated by making use of our in-house MS/MS libraries and the mspcompiler R package. In silico fragmentation combined with data obtained from gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and lists of chemicals related to plastics were used to identify those remaining unknown. A pseudo-multiple reaction monitoring method was also applied to sensitively target and screen the identified chemicals in the samples. Quantification results demonstrated that a good sorting of postconsumer materials and a better recycling technology may be necessary for food contact applications. Removal or reduction of non-volatile substances, such as octocrylene and 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate, is still challenging but vital for the safe use of rHDPE as food contact materials

Bring some colour to your package: freshness indicators based on anthocyanin extracts

Background: Nowadays, consumers are more aware about what they eat and how it is packaged. Food quality is of paramount importance and consumers are eager to be constantly updated about the perishability and shelf-life of the food products they buy. This gave rise to intelligent packaging (IP) materials and devices that can communicate with all people throughout the entire food route. One of the main colour-based IP systems is based on the use of anthocyanin (ATH)-based natural dyes by exploiting their pH-dependent colour changes that can be easily readable by the naked eye. Scope and approach: This review focuses on recent studies regarding ATH-based sensor packaging materials development for IP applications, offering valuable insights regarding the main factors that affect the efficacy of the developed IP, such as the material where the ATH is anchored, ATH type and concentration, the ingredients used in the formulation of the sensor and the storage conditions of the food product. Additionally, the last ATH-based IP developed are also summed and discussed in detail to identify the major bottlenecks that need to be overcome for accelerating the commercial application of ATH-based sensors in IP. Key findings and conclusions: Although ATH-based indicators are able to correctly indicate food shelf-life in several products at a laboratory scale, their industrial production is still impaired by the production methods used for this type of sensors. Furthermore, ATHs are labile compounds that require stabilization in the packaging material to yield stable, standardized and durable IP materials

Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP) and Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatography (APGC) coupled to Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (QTOF-MS) as alternative techniques to trace aromatic markers of mineral oils in food packaging

The aim of this work was to select and identify the best markers of aromatic hydrocarbon mineral oil (MOAH) in food packaging. For this purpose, a series of mineral oils was initially analysed. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the alkylated isomers of Methylnaphthalene (MNS), Diisopropylnaphtalene (DIPNs), Dibenzothiophenes (DBTS), Methyldibenzothiophene (MDBTs), Dimethyldibenzothiophenes (DMDBTs) and Benzonaphthiophenes (BNTS) were then explored. Their presence was confirmed by direct analysis of several mineral oils by Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (ASAP-QTOF-MS). Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatography Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (APGC-QTOF-MS) was used to confirm the markers in different samples of oils, recycled PET (rPET), recycled cardboard and packaging of couscous and semolina to confirm the contamination. 27 markers were found in the mineral oil samples, 22 of them in rPET, 8 in recycled board and no MOAH were found in packaging of couscous and semolina

Three phases microextraction procedure for determination of isothiazolin biocides in adhesives for food packaging materials

The use of biocides in adhesives is widely extended. However, when adhesives are used in food packaging materials, it is important to determine their concentration not only in the packaging materials but also in migration tests, in order to ensure the food safety. Isothiazolin derivatives are low volatile compounds and often used for this purpose. However, the analytical sensitivity is very poor either in GC-MS or in HPLC-UV and an enrichment step is required. The present study deals with the development of a liquid microextraction procedure for enhancing the sensitivity of the determination of 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (MIT) and 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (CMIT) in adhesives and food simulants. The procedure involves three phases and a semipermeable polypropylene (PP) membrane which contains 1-octanol as organic phase. The donor and acceptor phases are aqueous acidic and alkaline media respectively and the final liquid phase is analyzed by RP-HPLC-UV. The detection limits of these biocides are 0.037 and 0.147 μg g-1 for MIT and CMIT respectively. Three different adhesive samples were successfully analyzed. The procedure was compared with the direct analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF, where the identification of the compounds and the quantification values were confirmed. The results obtained are shown and discussed

Migration of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) from cardboard containers to dry food and prediction tool

This research aimed to study the migration of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) from primary carton packages to dry foods, using 16 aromatic hydrocarbons as model substances, covering a wide range of molecular masses and chemical structures. Migration experiments were performed using modified polyphenylene oxide as a food simulant and couscous and polenta as dry foods. The migration tests were carried out to simulate storage at room temperature for long periods and in hot food containers as the worst scenario. Multivariate analysis algorithms were applied to correlate and group the migration of model substances, and a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was built to predict the worst-case migration. The results showed strong correlations in the migration patterns of the model substances, based on their volatility, food matrix, migration time and temperature. Different behaviour between the migration of the most volatile and the heaviest model substances was observed

Application of SERS to the determination of butylated hydroxyanisole in edible and essential oils

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been applied to the determination of the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), commonly used in fatty foods and oils to prevent their oxidation. The use of SERS Raman microscopy with an inexpensive homemade silver substrate allowed the direct determination of BHA in oils without any sample handling. Several edible and essential oils (used as flavorings) have been considered for this purpose. The experimental conditions, the peculiarities of each type of oil, and the characteristics of silver substrate, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, are shown and discussed

Simultaneous extraction and analysis of preservatives and artificial sweeteners in juices by salting out liquid-liquid extraction method prior to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography

A novel and fast salting out liquid-liquid extraction method was developed for simultaneous determination of food additives with different polarities in juices. Chromatographic separation was achieved in less than 6 min using Acquity UPLC BEH C 18 (100 mm × 2.1 mm d.i. × 1.7 µm) column with ammonium acetate with 0.01% of trifluoroacetic acid as eluent A and acetonitrile as eluent B at a flow rate of 0.2 mL min-1. The main factors affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized. The method was validated applying accuracy profile based on total error. The extraction recoveries ranged from 84.97 to 122%. Relative standard deviation ranged from 1.24 to 7.99% for intraday assay and from 1.69 to 9.16% for intermediate precision. The limits of detection for five food additives were from 0.3 to 1.42 µg mL-1. The method was successfully applied to 47 samples of juices from nine brands

Actividad eléctrica muscular en la marcha a distintas velocidades y en la carrera

En este estudio se analiza la actividad electromiográfica de los principales músculos de la extremidad inferior derecha: Glúteos Mayor y Medio, Recto Anterior y Vasto Interno del Cuádriceps, Isquiotibioperoneos, Gemelos y Tibial Anterior, al caminar en un tapiz rodante a distintas velocidades y en una carrera suave. Para dividir el ciclo de la marcha y la carrera en fases se utilizó un sistema de análisis tridimensional con dos cámaras de vídeo. La señal electromiográfica de cada una de estas fases se integró y se expresó en porcentaje de la actividad máxima isométrica de su músculo correspondiente. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la participación muscular en la marcha lenta y normal es muy similar, sin embargo, en la marcha rápida aparecen aumentos importantes conservando el mismo patrón de actuación. En la carrera, no sólo existen actividades del triple de las halladas en la marcha a velocidad cómoda, sino que se modifica el patrón de actuación, presentando todos los músculos sus picos de actividad durante la fase de apoyo, momento en el que el centro de gravedad se lleva hacia delante sobre el miembro inferior

Actividad eléctrica muscular en la marcha a distintas velocidades y en la carrera

En este estudio se analiza la actividad electromiográfica de los principales músculos de la extremidad inferior derecha: Glúteos Mayor y Medio, Recto Anterior y Vasto Interno del Cuádriceps, Isquiotibioperoneos, Gemelos y Tibial Anterior, al caminar en un tapiz rodante a distintas velocidades y en una carrera suave. Para dividir el ciclo de la marcha y la carrera en fases se utilizó un sistema de análisis tridimensional con dos cámaras de vídeo. La señal electromiográfica de cada una de estas fases se integró y se expresó en porcentaje de la actividad máxima isométrica de su músculo correspondiente. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la participación muscular en la marcha lenta y normal es muy similar, sin embargo, en la marcha rápida aparecen aumentos importantes conservando el mismo patrón de actuación. En la carrera, no sólo existen actividades del triple de las halladas en la marcha a velocidad cómoda, sino que se modifica el patrón de actuación, presentando todos los músculos sus picos de actividad durante la fase de apoyo, momento en el que el centro de gravedad se lleva hacia delante sobre el miembro inferior