CONTAMINANT MIGRATION FROM FOOD-PACKAGING LAMINATES USED FOR HEAT ANDEAT MEALS

EU legislation requires that components from food contact plastics sho uld not migrate significantly into the food. The nature and extent of species migrating from laminated materials used for packaging 'heat an d eat' meals have been investigated. Selected target analytes included additives incorporated into the polyolefin, e.g. the Irganox and Irga fos antioxidants, the diisocyanate and polyol residues from the adhesi ve and oligomeric material from the nylon. The results identified a wi de range of migrants arising from each of the individual components of the laminate. Some of the migrants have been identified as precursors of the principal components of the laminate as well as those anticipa ted from a knowledge of the laminate construction. The levels of migra tion for those components identified and quantified has been well belo w the legal limits. Some significant migrant species have been however left unidentified by this investigation.