Non-target migration testing

By applying the procedures mentioned above, monomers and additives can be adequately tested. However, other components, the NlASs, can be present in the food contact material and potentially migrate to food. Such unlisted components are gaining renewed attention. In principle, they are already regulated in Article 3 of Framework Directive EC 1935/2004, i.e., food contact materials should not endanger human health. Unlisted substances that could be found in food contact materials may include  

Renewed attention to unlisted substances is stimulated by efforts to enhance consumer protection. Recent examples of unlisted substances originating from packaging materials are  

1 Current status and opinions on screening and analysis of migrants 

Headspace GC-MS is the preferred method for the analysis of very volatile migrants. Practically the same GC conditions can be used as for GC-MS. Due to the coupling to MS, identification is also relatively easy. The heating time and temperature are the main experimental variables. The major drawback of headspace GC-MS is quantification. As a result of the principle of headspace GC-MS, i.e., partitioning of compounds between gas phase and liquid phase, the chemical properties will have a significant influence on the partition of each molecule between gas phase and liquid phase. Therefore, quantification is almost solely possible by using external standards of the same compound (Grob and Barry 2004). 

Eurther analysis of the migration extract is preferably carried out using GC-MS and LC-MS. Eor GC-MS it is impossible to detect components with a molecular mass above 1000 Da due to volatility and the mass range of quadrupole MS detectors. With LC-MS the mass range can be chosen and thus the highest mass can be set at 1000 Da. Multi-methods exist with which almost all elements in the periodic system can be analysed in extracts at low levels. Combination of induced coupled plasma (ICP) and atomic absorption (AAS) coupled to MS is the preferred method. Quantification of each element is also possible with this method. 

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