MIGRATION OF MINERAL HYDROCARBONS INTO FOODS .4. WAXED PAPER FOR PACKAGING DRY GOODS INCLUDING BREAD, CONFECTIONERY AND FOR DOMESTIC USE INCLUDING MICROWAVE COOKING

Retail samples of dry goods (bread, biscuits and breakfast cereals) pa ckaged in waxed paper were examined for the presence of mineral hydroc arbon wax. Bread loaves contained up to 50 mg/kg of the wax (associate d with the outer surfaces) and crackers up to 185 mg/kg. Mineral oil w as found in bread samples, at up to 550 mg/kg and was dispersed throug hout indicating its use in food processing machinery as the likely sou rce. Retail confectionery products wrapped in waxed paper (containing 12-44% w/w) gave rise to levels of 12-1300 mg/kg mineral hydrocarbon i n the individually wrapped sweets. Migration into boiled sweets was lo west at 10-130 mg/kg, whilst soft chews and toffee products contained 110-1300 mg/kg. The distribution of wax hydrocarbons (principally n-al kanes) in the confectionery coincided exactly with that for the paper wrapping, with a range Of C23 to C33 (95% material) centred around C26 . This indicated that the transfer to the food occurred largely by adh esion rather than by diffusion since the latter would be expected to f avour preferential migration of the low molecular weight components. I n simulated home-use experiments with waxed bags sold in the United St ates for domestic use, migration into sandwiches and cake amounted to 40 mg/kg (1% transfer of wax). Use of these waxed bags in the microwav e oven (as recommended) gave rise to contamination of foods from 210 t o 1650 mg/kg (up to 60% transfer of wax).