Determination of potential migrants present in Nylon 'microwave and roasting bags' and migration into olive oil

Two groups of potential migrants were found in Nylon "microwave and roasting bags' (MRBs): volatile compounds were released at cooking temperatures and non-volatile compounds were extracted with methanol and/or water. A dynamic headspace system at 200 degrees C followed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) was used for determination of volatile compounds. Cyclopentanone (31.7 mg/bag), 2-cyclopentyl cyclopentanone (17.4 mg/bag), hexadecane (2.6 micrograms/bag), heptadecane (3.2 micrograms/bag), octadecane (3.0 micrograms/bag) and epsilon-caprolactam (5.0-35.5 mg/ bag) were the main volatile compounds present in the MRBs. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry were combined for identification and quantification of non-volatile compounds extracted with methanol (46.0 mg/bag). Nylon 6,6 cyclic monomer and cyclic oligomers up to the tetramer and Nylon 6 monomer and cyclic oligomers up to the octamer were identified and quantified, confirming that the plastic was made of Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6 polymers. The same non-volatile compounds (except Nylon 6 heptamer and octamer) were found to migrate into olive oil at 175 degrees C for 1 h. A total of 0.916 mg/dm2 (19.2 mg/bag) of non-volatile compounds migrated into olive oil (41.8% of those quantified in the plastic material).