A critical review of test methods and alternative scientific approaches to compliance and safety evaluation of paper and board for food contact.

Paper and board are widely used as food contact materials. For such sensitive applications, consumer safety regarding the transfer of chemical components and contaminants to the food needs to be established. Such safety assessments are becoming increasingly challenging not only due to intentionally added substances but also non-intentionally added substances. In the European Union, compliance testing and safety evaluation of paper in food contact are largely based on national legislation and standards. The underlying tests are conventional methods, often overestimating and sometimes underestimating the migration into food. In this article, the relevant standard test methods are contrasted with currently available scientific knowledge. The scientific approaches to develop and identify suitable test methods are critically reviewed. Furthermore, theoretical predictions via mathematical modeling, with the aim to realistically simulate transfer to food, are presented and discussed in comparison with available migration studies with foods. Objectives are to (i) summarize the actual scientific knowledge in the field and draw conclusions regarding the potential and limitations of the existing test methods and (ii) identify research gaps toward a better qualitative and quantitative understanding of transport processes of volatile and non-volatile substances from paper and board into foods.

Prevention of Decompression Sickness by Novel Artificial Oxygen Carriers.

For three decades, studies have demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of perfluorocarbon (PFC) in reducing the onset of decompression trauma. However, none of these emulsion-based preparations are accepted for therapeutic use in the western world, mainly because of severe side effects and a long organ retention time. A new development to guarantee a stable dispersion without these disadvantages is the encapsulation of PFC in nanocapsules with an albumin shell. PURPOSE: Newly designed albumin-derived perfluorocarbon-based artificial oxygen carriers (A-AOC) are used in a rodent in vivo model as a preventive therapy for decompression sickness (DCS). METHODS: Thirty-seven rats were treated with A-AOC (n = 12), albumin nanocapsules filled with neutral oil (A-O-N, n = 12), or 5% human serum albumin solution (A-0-0, n = 13) before a simulated dive. Eleven rats, injected with A-AOC, stayed at normal pressure (A-AOC surface). Clinical, laboratory, and histological evaluations were performed. RESULTS: The occurrence of DCS depended on the treatment group. A-AOC significantly reduced DCS appearance and mortality. Furthermore, a significant improvement of survival time was found (A-AOC compared with A-0-0). Histological assessment of A-AOC-dive compared with A-0-0-dive animals revealed significantly higher accumulation of macrophages, but less blood congestion in the spleen and significantly less hepatic circulatory disturbance, vacuolization, and cell damage. Compared with nondiving controls, lactate and myoglobin showed a significant increase in the A-0-0- but not in the A-AOC-dive group. CONCLUSION: Intravenous application of A-AOC was well tolerated and effective in reducing the occurrence of DCS, and animals showed significantly higher survival rates and less symptoms compared with the albumin group (A-0-0). Analysis of histological results and fast reacting plasma parameters confirmed the preventive properties of A-AOC.

Release and migration of cyclic polyester oligomers from bisphenol A non-intent polyester-phenol-coatings into food simulants and infant food - a comprehensive study.

Coatings for cans or closures are essential to protect the metal from corrosion and the food from migration of hazardous metal ions. Since coatings are no inert materials, they can release substances of potential health concern into food. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis is presented for a complex two-layered polyester-phenol-coating commercially used for metal closures of complementary infant food in sterilised glass jars. Focussed on the identity and migration of cyclic polyester oligomers as a kind of predictable non-intentionally added substances, polyester resin raw materials (n = 3) as well as individual coating layers (n = 3) were characterised by several analytical strategies (size exclusion chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, diode array detection, charged aerosol detection, monomer determination after alkaline hydrolysis, overall migrate). The main polyester monomers were terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, trimellitic acid, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, neopentylglycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol and tricyclodecanedimethanol. The coatings were extracted with solvents acetonitrile and ethanol (24 h, 60°C), food simulants 50% ethanol, 20% ethanol and water (1 h, 121°C) as well as homemade and commercial baby food (1 h, 121°C). The released total polyester content determined by alkaline hydrolysis ranged from 288 µg/dm2 (water, 1 h, 121°C) to 6154 µg/dm2 (acetonitrile, 24 h, 60°C). However, individual cyclic oligomers, mainly dimers, were released from the coating to up to about 140 µg/dm2. Migration into infant food was best represented by the food simulants water (up to 1% fat) and 20% ethanol (up to 5% fat). Cyclic polyester oligomers are classified as Cramer III substances by the threshold of toxicological concern concept associated to an exposure threshold of 1.5 µg/kg body weight per day. Exposure to cyclic polyester oligomers might be a potential concern for highly exposed infants.