ALTERNATIVE TEST METHODS TO CONTROL THE COMPLIANCE OF POLYOLEFIN FOOD-PACKAGING MATERIALS WITH THE EUROPEAN-UNION REGULATION - THE CASE OF AROMATIC ANTIOXIDANTS AND OF BIS(ETHANOLAMINE) ANTISTATICS BASED ON H-1-NMR AND UV-VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

In order to decide whether a plastic food packaging material complies, with the European Communities (EC) regulation on migration, a quick a nalysis of two functional classes of plastics additives (aromatic anti oxidants and antistatic agents) from polyolefin materials by H-1-NMR a nd UV-visible spectrophotometry is presented. The scope of spectroscop ic methods for alternative and migration tests is presented. H-1-NMR c an be used in several ways, from a simple fingerprint of the potential migrants to an identification procedure. Extraction is optimized usin g UV spectrophotometry. Optimization relies on extraction kinetics, wh ich include the demonstration that extraction is more severe than migr ation. Only a few hours are required to conclude whether a material co mplies with the regulation. The specific migration limits are expresse d as specific absorbance limit values, alpha. These data can be annexe d bq,food industries to specifications of a plastic packaging material .