Title
Evaluation of migration models that might be used in support of regulations for food-contact plastics
Author
Begley, T.
Castle, L.
Feigenbaum, A.
Franz, R.
Hinrichs, K.
Lickly, T.
Mercea, P.
Milana, M.
O'Brien, A.
Rebre, S.
Rijk, R.
Piringer, O.
TNO Kwaliteit van Leven TNO Voeding
Publication year
2005
Abstract
Materials and articles intended to come into contact with food must be shown to be safe because they might interact with food during processing, storage and the transportation of foodstuffs. Framework Directive 89/109/EEC and its related specific Directives provide this safety basis for the protection of the consumer against inadmissible chemical contamination from food-contact materials. Recently, the European Commission charged an international group of experts to demonstrate that migration modelling can be regarded as a valid and reliable tool to calculate 'reasonable worst-case' migration rates from the most important food-contact plastics into the European Union official food simulants. The paper summarizes the main steps followed to build up and validate a migration estimation model that can be used, for a series of plastic food-contact materials and migrants, for regulatory purposes. Analytical solutions of the diffusion equation in conjunction with an 'upper limit' equation for the migrant diffusion coefficient, DP, and the use of 'worst case' partitioning coefficients KP,F were used in the migration model. The results obtained were then validated, at a confidence level of 95%, by comparison with the available experimental evidence. The successful accomplishment of the goals of this project is reflected by the fact that in Directive 2002/72/EC, the European Commission included the mathematical modelling as an alternative tool to determine migration rates for compliance purposes. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.
Subject
Nutrition Packaging
Analytical research
Diffusion
Food-contact plastics
Migration
Modelling
Polyamide
Polyester
Polyolefin
Polystyrene
Food additive
Plastic
Confidence interval
Controlled study
Diffusion coefficient
Food contamination
Food control
Food processing
Food safety
Food storage
Mathematical model
Priority journal
Reliability
Validation process
Diffusion
European Union
Food Contamination
Food Industry
Food Packaging
Humans
Legislation, Food
Models, Chemical
Plastics
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ccb66395-9a66-4f95-84ae-b88bf62cda67
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/02652030400028035
TNO identifier
238270
ISSN
0265-203X
Source
Food Additives and Contaminants, 22 (1), 73-90
Document type
article