Packing material contaminants

Currently, hazardous chemicals are present in plastics and other materials that come in to contact with food. These chemicals can leach or migrate into food and from there into our bodies. Chemicals are especially likely to migrate into food or liquids when the food contact materials are exposed to high temperatures, when contact times are long and when the food to material contact ratio is high.

Different types of additives, such as antioxidants, stabilizers, lubricants, anti-static and anti-blocking agents, have also been developed to improve the performance of polymeric packaging materials. Various analytical methods have been developed to analyze the migrants in the foodstuff, and migration evaluation procedures based on theoretical prediction of migration from plastic food contact material were also introduced.

BPA stands for bisphenol A. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. Polycarbonate plastics are often used in containers that store food and beverages, BPA can seep into food or beverages from containers that are made with BPA. Exposure to BPA is a concern because of possible health effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.