Print migration testing

For migration testing of printed materials intended for use at elevated temperatures only Tenax is used as food simulant. Testing should take into account possible degradation products formed at elevated temperatures. Prior to testing, the sample should be preheated in a closed container. 

PAPILLOUD s and baudraz d, Migration tests for substrates printed with UV ink systems in aqueous simulants . Progress Organic Coatings, 2002 45 231-237. 

P.R.12 textile prints are excellently lightfast 1/1 to 1/6 SD prints equal step 7 and 6-7, respectively, on the Blue Scale. However, the pigment fails dry cleaning tests and migrates considerably in PVC coatings. P.R.12 tolerates dry heat up to 150°C at 180°C, the pigment still largely retains its initial color value. 

The results confirmed that benzophenone can migrate from printed cartonboard to food. The estimated intake of this substance was far less than the TDI of 0.01 mg/kg bw/day set by the SCF. Using a 97.5 percentile value for daily consumption for the foods that were tested (102 g), a mean value of bodyweight of 60 kg and a mean contaminant level, the intake was estimated at 0.001 mg/kg bw/day (one-tenth of the TDI) and no health effects would be expected in an individual s lifetime from the levels found in the survey. 

The objective of this chapter is to give an overview of the processes and problems related to prints on food packages, dealing primarily with the components of inks and their possible migration into the foodstuff. Sensory (odour and taint) aspects and testing will also be covered and statutory requirements will be discussed. 

Inks and prints are analysed in order to ensure safety. This includes testing for harmful substances with potential to migrate into food. Environmental pressure may result in a demand for testing, for example, vegetable oils versus petroleum distillates. There might also be a need to determine the content of aromatic compounds in the ink in order to avoid odour and taint problems. For chemical analysis of prints and determination of ink components a number of methods are available, such as pyrolysis, infra-red spectrometry, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Volatile compounds are usually analysed by a headspace technique. The progress in chemical analysis is so rapid that any method may be considered obsolete after a limited number of... 

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