Polyvinyl chloride food-packaging

Inoue, K., Kondo, S., Yoshie, Y., Kato, K., Yoshimura, Y., Horie, M. and Nakazawa, H. (2001). Migration of 4-nonylphenol from polyvinyl chloride food packaging films into food simulants and foods, Food Addit. Contam., 18, 2, 157-164. 

With the exception of ethylene vinyl acetate added in the 1980 s, the list of materials and polymers approved as packaging for food irradiated products has remained static for decades. This article supplies details of the approved list, which includes such polymers as polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride. The article provides an update on the latest proactive move to expand the list of packaging materials and polymers approved for the irradiation of foods. The expanded list would include ethylene vinyl alcohol, PVC film, ionomers, nylon 66, 6/12 and copolyesters among others. 

Other Plasticizers. Acetyl tributyl citrate is an outstanding nontoxic plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride in food packaging Plastisol formulations containing this ester have exceptional viscosity stability. Acetyl triethyl citrate is a good plasticizer for the cellulosics and acetyl trioctyl citrate shows promise with vmylidene chloride polymers. Other compounds of diverse nature find application as plasticizers. These include tetra-w-butyl thiodisuceinate, camphor, o-nitrobiphenyl and partially hydrogenated isomeric terphenyls... 

Awareness of the problem developed in the mid 1970s when it was found that mineral waters sold in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bottles contained measurable amounts of vinyl chloride monomer. Vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen. The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants has set a guideline of 1 ppm for vinyl chloride monomer in PVC packaging and 0.01 ppm of the monomer in food (Institute of Food Technologists 1988). Another additive found in some PVC plastics is octyl tin mer-captoacetate or octyl tin maleate. Specific regulations for these chemicals exist in the Canadian Food and Drugs Act. 

ILSl Europe Report Series Packaging Materials 1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for food packaging applications 2. Polystyrene for food packaging applications 3. Polypropylene for food packaging applications 4. Polyethylene for food packaging applications 5. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for food packaging applications. 

Butyl benzyl phthalate is a plasticizer added to polymers to give flexibility and softness. It is used extensively in polyvinyl chloride and in cellulose plastics, polyvinyl acetate, polysulfides, and polyurethane. Also used in flexographic inks for food packaging applications and acrylic coatings, profile extrusions, slush moulding, film and sheeting, coated fabrics, floor and wall coverings, vinyl foams and plastisols for car sealants. 

The suspicion surrounding epoxy-phenolic and polyvinyl chloride lacquers of metal packaging, as well as the weight and energetic cost of recychng glass, favors plastic materials. They are used for applications including sterihzed food. 

During the past century, petrochemicals have become a vital part of industrial and economic activity around the world. Synthetic polymers are an important part of numerous industrial products, consumer goods, and healthcare applications. Materials such as polystyrene, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride are used in an enormous range of products across a wide variety of market sectors [5]. Textile production, food packaging, construction materials, and communication and entertainment technologies are all reliant on a plentiful supply of plastics. Petrochemicals have also been used extensively as food preservatives, vitamin supplements, refrigerants, antifreeze solutions, cosmetics, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and disinfectants. Chemicals derived from oil have enormous industrial, economic, and social importance. 

Plastics based on Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride and Cellophane, hugely used for packagings, has some of these properties but this is different at them. For example, these polymers rank generally from the easiest to the most difficult to penetration against insect pests Cellophane, polyethylene. Polyvinylchloride and Polypropylene. The least penetration is carried out in PP and PVC polymers. Foodstuffs packaged by polymer films of PP and PVC could provide the conditions and so, by suitable packaging the stored pest insects do not access to food and without food they become extinct. But in the comparison between polypropylene and polyvinylchloride, PVC isn t a safe polymer for packaging... 

Polyethylene, linear low density film, food-contact Polyvinyl alcohol film, food-contact polyolefin o-Methylstyrene/vinyltoluene copolymer, hydrogenated film, food-contact PP Terpene resin film, food-packaging Ethylene/ethyl acrylate copolymer Ethylene/methyl acrylate copolymer 1,2-Polybutadiene Polystyrene Silica, fumed Vinylidene chloride/methyl acrylate copolymer film, food-packaging pressure-sensitive adhesives... 

Vinyl chloride monomer used for the manufacture of PVC plastics intended for contact with foods provides an example where there is a low specific migration limit , plus a low limit on the level allowed to be present in the packaging material. These limits are contained in an EC Directive 78/142/EEC on PVC plastics and are 0.01 milligrams per kilogram of food (lOppb), and 1 milligram per kilogram of polyvinyl chloride. 

Plastics that are most often used as food packaging materials include polyolefines, polyesteres, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyli-dene chloride, polystyrene, polyamide, various resins and so on. For example, the world plastic demand in 2011 was dominated by polyethylene, including low density polyethylene (PE-LD), linear low density polyethylene (PE-LLD, 17%) and high density polyethylene (PE-HD, 12%), polypropylene (PP, 19%), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 11%), polystyrene solid (PS) and expandable (PS-E, 7.5%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 6.5%), polyurethane (PUR, 7%) and other plastic types (20%). An overview of the main types of polymeric packaging materials is given in Table 12.73. 

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