Evaluation of phthalate migration potential in vacuum-packed

Area of Science:

• Food safety analysis
• Polymer science
• Environmental toxicology

Background:

• Growing concern over phthalate ester (PAE) migration from packaging into food products.
• Limited understanding of PAE migration dynamics and polyethylene (PE) microplastic formation in vacuum-packaged fish.
• Need for robust methods to assess food chain safety regarding chemical contaminants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the migration potential and rate of PAEs in benthic fish stored under vacuum packaging.
• To identify polyethylene (PE) polymer types and microplastics (MPs) in fish muscle.
• To correlate storage time, temperature, and packaging type with PAE migration and polymer degradation.

Main Methods:

• Vacuum packaging of benthic fish.
• Analysis of fish muscle and packaging material using µ-Raman spectroscopy for polymer identification and microplastic detection.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the identification and quantification of 10 types of PAEs.

Main Results:

• One polyethylene (low-density polyethylene: LDPE) microplastic particle (6 µm) was detected in whiting fish muscle after 30 days of storage.
• Storage time and temperature affected the chemical composition of the vacuum packaging, leading to the formation of different polymer types.
• Ten PAEs were identified in both packaging and fish; DEHP was dominant in packaging, while BBP was most dominant in fish meat, with DMP being the least.

Conclusions:

• Vacuum packaging materials can leach PAEs into fish, with migration influenced by storage conditions.
• The formation of polyethylene microplastics in fish muscle is a potential risk associated with vacuum packaging.
• The study provides a model for monitoring PAE presence and migration in food, contributing to a safer food chain.