The BIOSAFEPAPER project for in vitro toxicity assessments: preparation, detailed chemical characterisation and testing of extracts from paper and board samples.

Nineteen food contact papers and boards and one non-food contact board were extracted following test protocols developed within European Union funded project BIOSAFEPAPER. The extraction media were either hot or cold water, 95% ethanol or Tenax, according to the end use of the sample. The extractable dry matter content of the samples varied from 1200 to 11,800 mg/kg (0.8-35.5 mg/dm2). According to GC-MS the main substances extracted into water were pulp-derived natural products such as fatty acids, resin acids, natural wood sterols and alkanols. Substances extracted into ethanol particularly, were diisopropylnaphthalenes, alkanes and phthalic acid esters. The non-food contact board showed the greatest number and highest concentrations of GC-MS detectable compounds. The extracts were subjected to a battery of in vitro toxicity tests measuring both acute and sublethal cytotoxicity and genotoxic effects. None of the water or Tenax extracts was positive in cytotoxicity or genotoxicity assays. The ethanol extract of the non-food contact board gave a positive response in the genotoxicity assays, and all four ethanol extracts gave positive response(s) in the cytotoxicity assays to some extent. These responses could not be pinpointed to any specific compound, although there appeared a correlation between the total amount of extractables and toxicity.

The consequences of physical post-treatments (microwave and electron-beam) on food/packaging interactions: A physicochemical and toxicological approach.

The safety of microwave and electron-beam treatments has been demonstrated, in regards to the formation of reaction products that could endanger human health. An integrated approach was used combining the potential toxicity of all the substances likely to migrate to their chemical characterizations. This approach was applied to polypropylene (PP) films prepared with a selection of additives. Components were identified by liquid and gas chromatography using a mass selective detector system. Their potential toxicity was assessed using three in vitro short-term bioassays and their migrations were carried out using a standards-based approach. After the electron-beam treatment some additives decomposed and there was a significant increase in the polyolefin oligomeric saturated hydrocarbons concentration. PP prepared with Irgafos 168 led to a significantly strong cytotoxic effect and PP prepared with Irganox 1076 induced a dose-dependant estrogenic effect in vitro. Migration values were low and below the detection limit of the analytical method applied.