TESTING POLYMERIC COATINGS ON METAL AND PAPER SUBSTRATES

The predicted migration test requirements for food and beverage cans w ith internal lacquer coatings and plastics paperboard composites again st future EC legislation, are described. In a project currently in han d at Pira International on behalf of the UK Ministry of Agriculture, F isheries and Food, some of the problems which arise when migration tes ting food and beverage cans with the food simulant 3% (w/v) acetic aci d solution are being investigated. The 3% (w/v) acetic acid simulant h as a tendency to penetrate the lacquer coating resulting in corrosion of the metal substrate. Experiments in hand and planned on this proble m, with some of the initial results, are presented. There are also pro blems with overall migration testing of food packaging consisting of p lastics paperboard composites with the fatty food simulant (olive oil) . With one particular problem there is at present no obvious answer.