LEVELS OF DI-(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE AND TOTAL PHTHALATE-ESTERS IN MILK, CREAM, BUTTER AND CHEESE

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and total phthalate ester plasticize r levels were determined in milk, cream, butter and cheese samples fro m a variety of sources from three European countries (UK, Norway and S pain). Samples of milk (from Norway) obtained at various stages during collection, transportation and packaging operations showed no apparen t trends in phthalate contamination with total phthalate levels (expre ssed as DEHP equivalents) in the raw milk of between 0.12 and 0.28 mg/ kg. On processing the DEHP was concentrated in the cream at levels up to 1.93 mg/ kg, whereas low fat milk contained from <0.01 to 0.07 mg/k g. Retail dairy products (from Spain) were contaminated with <0.01-0.5 5 mg/kg DEHP with a maximum total phthalate level of 3.0 mg/kg in crea m samples. UK pooled milk samples from doorstep delivery (obtained fro m different regions of the country) contained low levels of DEHP (<0.0 1-0.09 mg/kg) and total phthalate (0.06-0.32 mg/kg). Retail UK samples of cheese, butter and other fatty products varied considerably in the ir levels of contamination, the highest being cheese samples containin g 17 mg/kg of DEHP and 114 mg/kg total phthalate. However, the majorit y of samples contained 0.6-3.0 mg/kg DEHP and 4-20 mg/kg total phthala te. UK cream samples contained levels of 0.2-2.7 mg/ kg DEHP and 1.8-1 9.0 mg/kg total phthalate. The level found in these products was too h igh to have resulted solely from milk by concentration in the fat phas e and must therefore have arisen in other ways.