No abstract

Photoinitiators (PIs) are used as catalyzers for inks and lacquers that are cured with ultraviolet (UV) light, and they can contaminate foodstuffs by mass transference.The aim of the present paper is to study the migration of six photoinitiators (Irgacure 184, benzophenone, Irgacure 651, Irgacure 907, ITX, and EHA) into food simulants [distilled water, 3% acetic acid (w/v) in aqueous solution, 10, 20, 30, 60 and 95% ethanol (v/v) in aqueous solution]. Migration levels of the six PIs into different food simulants were compared after a 30 day contact period with the additivated plastic. A relationship between R (ratio between log K(o/w) and MW) and total migration was found for PIs with log K(o/w) < 5. Key parameters of migration processes were calculated according to a mathematical model based on Fick's second law. Diffusion (D) and partition coefficients were estimated and compared among different simulants, temperatures, and PIs to understand better the mechanisms of the migration process and the physicochemical properties that most influence this phenomenon. For instance, at 5 degrees C, in ethanol 95% (v/v), D ranged between 4.2 x 10(-11) cm/s for Irgacure 907 and 3.0 x 10(-9) cm/s for benzophenone.

The aim of the present work was to develop a rapid multimethod for the analysis of six photoinitiators (PIs) in powdered milk and to study the migration of these PIs from LDPE packaging into powdered milk. The optimized HPLC-DAD method showed high correlation coefficients (>0.9999) over a concentration range of 0.1-10.9 mg/L. The kinetics of migration of the photoinitiators from LDPE packaging into powdered milk were determined at different temperatures. The key parameters of migration phenomena (diffusion and partition coefficients) were determined. The diffusion coefficients at 5 degrees C ranged between 8.4 x 10(-12) (for ITX) and 5.1 x 10(-10) (for benzophenone) and those at 40 degrees C between 5.9 x 10(-10) (for ITX) and 6.1 x 10(-9) (for Irgacure 184). The diffusion coefficients of the six model migrants under study increased with temperature and showed a good Arrhenius relationship between 5 and 40 degrees C.

Photo-initiators are used in printing inks hardened with UV light and one of the most commonly used photo-initiators is benzophenone (BP). Recent notifications under the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed have shown migration of 4-methylbenzophenone (4-MBP) from packaging into cereals. A specific migration limit exists for BP of 0.6 mg kg(-1) for its use as an additive in plastics. There is no specific European legislation covering cardboard boxes and/or printing inks for food contact use. However, due to the high levels detected, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published recommendations and the Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health endorsed a limit of 0.6 mg kg(-1) for the sum of BP and 4-MBP. While studies have been published on photo-initiators in the past, there is a fundamental lack of data on 4-MBP especially for its combined analysis with others. We present an HPLC method with diode array detector to simultaneously determine the levels of BP, 4-MBP as well as 7 other possible derivatives from secondary packaging for food applications. The method was tested and applied to 46 samples of paperboard for secondary packaging collected both from supermarkets and directly from a paperboard supplier. In addition, a survey was conducted on recycled paperboard (n = 19) collected from a supplier, to evaluate the background quantity of BP and other derivatives in recycled board. The most abundant photo-initiator found in the survey was BP, in 61% of samples, and 4-MBP was found in 30% of the samples. It seems that these compounds are used to replace one another. Other derivatives were found in minor quantities. Traces of BP were also found in 42% of the samples of recycled, unprinted board.