Tests of potential functional barriers for laminated multilayer food packages. Part II: Medium molecular weight permeants

Experiments were performed to characterize the kinetics of the permeation o f different medium molecular weight model permeants : bisphenol A, warfarin and anthracene, from liquid paraffin, through a surrogate potential functi onal barrier (25 mu m-thick orientated polypropylene-OPP) into the food sim ulants olive oil and 3% (w/v) acetic acid. The characterization of permeati on kinetics generally observed the permeation models previously reported to explain the experimental permeation results obtained for a low molecular w eight group of model permeants. In general, the model permeants exhibited b ehaviour consistent with their relative molecular weights with respect to ( a) the time taken to attain steady-state permeation into the food simulant in which they were more soluble, (b) their subsequent steady-state permeati on rates, and (c) their partition between liquid paraffin and the OPP membr ane.