MIGRATION OF MINERAL HYDROCARBONS INTO FOODS .5. MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MINERAL HYDROCARBONS IN FOOD CONTACT MATERIALS

Polystyrene and acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrenes (ABS) containers for individual serving portions (80 samples of milk, cream, butter, margar ine and spreads) used in the catering industry were found to contain 1 -4% mineral oil. Levels of mineral oil migrating into the foods were g enerally low (<5-15 mg/kg) except in one instance where levels of 45-8 5 mg/kg were detected in a low fat spread, and this was attributed to mineral hydrocarbon transfer from an adhesive used in the lidding. Ana lysis of wine bottle corks (105 samples from 11 different countries) i ndicated that 50% had been treated with mineral wax or mineral oil, al though in all cases mineral hydrocarbon contamination of the wine was < 0.2 mg/l. Waxed paper discs sold for home-use for covering the surfa ce of jams and preserves were found to be coated with 100 mg/dm2 of mi neral hydrocarbons. However in experiments with a variety of jams and preserves levels of migration were not significant, ranging from 0.15 to 1.2 mg/kg.