The effect of flavour absorption on the oxygen permeability of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was studied using an isostatic continuous flow system. Polymer samples were exposed to a model solution containing limonene, hexyl acetate, nonanone and decanal at 40 degrees C. After exposure, one part of each sample was analysed for absorbed flavour compounds using a Large Volume Injection GC Ultrasonic 'in vial' extraction method, and from the other part, oxygen permeability was measured in a permeation cell at 25 degrees C. After 8 h of exposure, LDPE and PP samples showed a significant linear (R2 = 0.82 and 0.99) increase in oxygen permeability of 21 and 130%, respectively. Owing to swelling of the polymer samples resulting from flavour absorption, the structure of the polymeric network changed (i.e. opened) and consequently increased oxygen permeability. The oxygen permeability of exposed PC showed a significant linear (R2 = 0.78) decrease of 11% after 21 days. PC obviously did not swell like LDPE or PP. Therefore, it was suggested that absorbed flavour compounds occupied or blocked 'microcavities' through which normally oxygen is transported. Absorption of flavour compounds by PET did not affect the oxygen permeability of PET significantly.

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The influence of flavour absorption by low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on taste perception of a model solution containing seven flavour compounds and orange juice in glass bottles was studied with and without pieces of the respective plastic films after dark storage at 20 degrees C. Owing to absorption, the amount of flavour compounds in the model solution exposed to LDPE decreased substantially. From the model flavour solution valencene was almost completely absorbed by LDPE, followed to a lesser extent by decanal, hexyl acetate, octanal and nonanone. Less flavour compounds were absorbed from the model solution by PC and PET. In contrast to LDPE, valencene was absorbed in the lowest amounts and decanal in the highest. Limonene was readily absorbed from orange juice by LDPE, while myrcene, valencene, pinene and decanal were absorbed in smaller quantities. Only three flavour compounds were absorbed from orange juice by PC and PET in very small amounts: limonene, myrcene and decanal. Although the flavour content between controls and polymer-treated samples differed substantially, the loss of flavour compounds due to absorption by LDPE, PC and PET did not influence taste perception of a model solution and orange juice significantly up to 29 days of dark storage at 20 degrees C as determined by triangular taste panel tests.

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One of the phenomena in food-packaging interactions is flavour absorption. Absorption of flavour compounds from food products into food-packaging materials can result in loss of flavour compounds or an unbalance in the flavour profile changing a product's quality. The food matrix influences the amounts of absorbed flavour compounds; the presence of oil or fat especially determines the ability to absorb flavour compounds from the food to the package. On the other hand, the polarity of the flavour compound itself is a characteristic that also influences the level of absorption into synthetic polymers. A model based on the effect of the polarity (logP) of flavour compounds and on their partitioning coefficients between the food (matrix) and the packaging material is described. The model can be used for predicting absorption of flavour compounds from foods into LLDPE. However, an attempt to apply the proposed model on real foods shows serious limitations of the model for (very) low fat products. Predictive values deviate from the measured values, probably due to other interaction phenomena, e.g. with proteins. Predictive and measured values from a product with a substantial amount of fat match much better, suggesting that the model is valid for products having a substantial amount of (free) fat.