Migration from polyamide 'microwave and roasting bags' into roast chicken

Area of Science:

• Food safety and toxicology
• Polymer science and engineering
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Microwave and roasting bags (MRB) are commonly used for cooking.
• Concerns exist regarding the migration of compounds from packaging materials into food.
• Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6 are primary materials used in MRB construction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the migration of non-volatile and volatile compounds from MRB into chicken during roasting.
• To assess the potential health risks associated with this migration.

Main Methods:

• Non-volatile compounds were analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) after freeze-drying and solvent extraction.
• Volatile compounds were quantified using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) with concurrent steam distillation-solvent extraction.
• Migration levels were determined in micrograms per gram of chicken and per bag.

Main Results:

• Non-volatile migration reached 7.48 µg/g (16% of total non-volatiles in MRB).
• Volatile 2-cyclopentyl cyclopentanone migration averaged 14.0 µg/bag (0.08% of total).
• Higher volatility of cyclopentanone suggests atmospheric loss, not migration into chicken.

Conclusions:

• The migration of Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6 compounds from MRB into chicken during roasting is quantifiable.
• Observed migration levels are generally considered not to present a hazard to consumers.
• Further investigation into volatile compound losses during cooking may be warranted.