UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis of non-volatile migrants from new active packaging materials

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Food Science

Background:

• Active packaging materials are designed to extend food shelf life by releasing active substances.
• Understanding migration of these substances is crucial for food safety and regulatory compliance.
• Polypropylene (PP), ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) are common polymers used in food packaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) for analyzing non-volatile migrants from novel active packaging.
• To identify and quantify active substances and potential contaminants migrating from PP, EVOH, and PET based active packaging.
• To ensure the safety and efficacy of active packaging materials through detailed chemical analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology for high-sensitivity and high-accuracy analysis of non-volatile compounds.
• Investigated migration from various active packaging configurations including PP, EVOH, and PET based films.
• Employed full fragment mode for accurate identification of unknown compounds and confirmation of chemical structures.

Main Results:

• Successfully identified and quantified the migration of active substances like caffeine (0.07 ± 0.01 μg/g), carvacrol (0.31 ± 0.03 μg/g), and citral (0.20 ± 0.01 μg/g).
• Detected unintentionally added substances, including citral reaction products and impurities from raw materials.
• Unequivocally identified the chemical structures of several migrated compounds.

Conclusions:

• UPLC-Q-TOF-MS is a powerful technique for characterizing migrants from active packaging materials.
• Migration of active compounds and presence of unintended substances were confirmed in the tested packaging.
• The findings contribute to the safety assessment and quality control of active food packaging.