Interaction between plastics packaging materials and foodstuffs with different fat content and fat release properties

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Abstract
The migration of an additive (phenolic antioxidant) from different types of plastic food packaging materials (low density polyethylene [LDPE], high density polyethylene [HDPE], polypropylene [PP], acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene [ABS] and high‐impact polystyrene [SB]) into low‐calorie (reduced fat) foodstuffs has been determined under normal storage conditions, and shown in most cases to be equivalent to migration into normal foodstuffs. Certain exceptions are discussed and related to the fat‐release properties of the particular foodstuffs. Additive transfer into low‐calorie products, as well as into emulsions of fat and water, has been compared with that into aqueous acetic acid and test fat HB 307 under normal storage conditions and after 10 days at 40°C. The transfer of antioxidant from plastics was found to decrease in the order LDPE, HDPE, PP, SB and ABS. Migration was found to be higher into pure fat and margarine than into mayonnaise. When comparing absorption from different emulsions of fat and water, the ranking for plastics was the same as the above with LDPE having a greater absorption than HDPE, except that ABS and PP had absorptions of the same order whilst it was significantly higher for SB. The type of emulsion was, however, found to have a greater influence on migration of the antioxidant from the polymer than on the fat absorption from the emulsion. The results are discussed in relation to earlier work and also with respect to the classification of foodstuffs.