Monitoring of bisphenol-A-diglycidyl-ether (BADGE) in canned milk productsand vegetable oils

The content of bisphenol-A-diglycidyl-ether (BADGE) was analysed in various canned food products from the European market (concentrated sterilised mil k, sterilised cream and vegetable oil) and the cans as well. A rapid screen ing method by conductivity measurement to verify the presence of a coating of the cans was carried out before the extraction and analysis of BADGE by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). BADGE could only be detected in half of the cream samples (54%) from the spray cans but only rarely in the sterilised milk and not at ail in the vegetable oil samples. The concen trations were far below the limit of 1 mg/kg set by the SGF. Comparing the BADGE contents in the cans (bodies) and their lids (bottom, top) the highes t values were found in the bodies. The limits of BADGE were only slightly e xceeded in three cans of the cream samples and considerably exceeded in thr ee cans of vegetable oils. However, little migration of BADGE into the food investigated has been occurred.