Characterisation of Elastomers as Food Contact Materials-Part 1: Quantification of Extractable Compounds, Swelling of Elastomers in Food Simulants and Release of Elements.

Elastomers are not a uniform class of materials but comprise a broad spectrum of chemically different polymers. Sealing gaskets, gloves, teats, conveyor belts and tubing are examples of elastomers being used as food contact materials (FCMs). Ten elastomer samples were evaluated with respect to the content of extractable compounds, migration of substances into ethanolic food simulants, swelling in food simulants and release of elements in different food simulants. The number of extractable substances <1000 Da was determined by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with flame ionisation detection (GC × GC-FID) analysis of tetrahydrofuran (THF) extracts. The number of signals ranged from 61 (a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)) to 690 (a natural rubber/styrene-butadiene-rubber blend (NR/SBR)). As for risk assessment, the decisive factor is which substances reach the food. The extent of substances that migrate into ethanolic food simulants was investigated. Elastomer FCMs can be the source of food contamination with heavy metals. Notably, contamination with lead was detected in some samples investigated in this study. It was shown that food simulants harbour the potential to morphologically alter or even disintegrate elastomeric materials. The results presented here highlight the importance to carefully choose the elastomer type for the intended use as FCMs as not every application may prove safe for consumers.

Exposure to acrylamide from home-cooked food: fried potatoes (rösti) in Switzerland as an example.

There is a significant lack of data on acrylamide in food which is prepared domestically, as obtaining samples of food cooked in people's homes is more complex than taking samples from shops. Rösti is a fried potato dish, which can be a significant contributor to acrylamide exposure, particularly in the German speaking areas of Switzerland. A set of 71 samples was collected from people who cooked the dish at home. The average acrylamide content was 709 µg/kg. Based on a food frequency questionnaire and on a Swiss national food survey the results enabled the determination of the exposure of the population to acrylamide through home-made rösti. The values for an exposure estimate to acrylamide from rösti are 7.8 µg/day for the whole population (including rösti eaters and non-eaters) and 27.2 µg/day for predominantly rösti consumers participating in this study.

Leaching of plasticizers from polyvinylchloride perfusion lines by different lipid emulsions for premature infants under clinical conditions.

Plasticizers migrate from polyvinylchloride (PVC) infusion systems into lipid emulsions. The aim of this study was to investigate the leaching of different plasticizers from PVC perfusion lines by a selection of lipid emulsions under clinical conditions. Seven PVC perfusion lines with an equal length of 150cm and three internal diameters were perfused with three lipid emulsions: Intralipid® 20%, ClinOleic® 20% and SMOFlipid® 20%, mimicking clinical conditions. The concentrations of the plasticizers were measured directly in the emulsions by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. Of the four plasticizers examined in this study, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) leached the most and was found, on average, at 46.5µg/ml in the emulsions - around one order of magnitude higher than the other plasticizers. This study demonstrates that the leaching of DEHP by lipid emulsions in conditions of total parenteral nutrition is many times higher than should be accepted and higher when compared to the other plasticizers. There was no significant difference in leaching of plasticizers in relation to the type of lipid emulsion. The influence of tube diameter on the leaching rate of plasticizers should be taken into account especially in particular exposed patients.