Unpacking the complexity of the polyethylene food contact articles value chain: A chemicals perspective.
J Hazard Mater
; 454: 131422, 2023 07 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37099905
ABSTRACT
Polyethylene (PE) is the most widely used type of plastic food packaging, in which chemicals can potentially migrate into packaged foods. The implications of using and recycling PE from a chemical perspective remain underexplored. This study is a systematic evidence map of 116 studies looking at the migration of food contact chemicals (FCCs) across the lifecycle of PE food packaging. It identified a total of 377 FCCs, of which 211 were detected to migrate from PE articles into food or food simulants at least once. These 211 FCCs were checked against the inventory FCCs databases and EU regulatory lists. Only 25% of the detected FCCs are authorized by EU regulation for the manufacture of food contact materials. Furthermore, a quarter of authorized FCCs exceeded the specific migration limit (SML) at least once, while one-third (53) of non-authorised FCCs exceeded the threshold value of 10 µg/kg. Overall, evidence on FCCs migration across the PE food packaging lifecycle is incomplete, especially at the reprocessing stage. Considering the EU's commitment to increase packaging recycling, a better understanding and monitoring of PE food packaging quality from a chemical perspective across the entire lifecycle will enable the transition towards a sustainable plastics value chain.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Contaminação de Alimentos
/
Polietileno
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article