MIGRATION OF METALS FROM STAINLESS-STEEL KITCHENWARE AND TABLEWARE

The migration of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) from stainless steel kitchenware and tableware was invest igated. The migration was affected by conditions such as solvent, temp erature, etc. It generally increased in the order water <4% acetic aci d < 0.5% citric acid, and at room temperature, 24 hr < 60 degrees C, 3 0 min < 95 degrees C, 30 min < boiling, 2 hr. The migration test of ne w and used stainless steel utensils (16 and 19 samples, respectively) was carried out with 4% acetic acid for 30 min at 60 degrees C when th e utensils were usually used at a relatively low temperature, and at 9 5 degrees C when they were used at about 100 degrees C. Fe migration w as found in all new utensils (50 similar to 1,110 ppb) and in 5 used o nes (90 similar to 340 ppb), and Cr migration was found in 10 new ones (5 similar to 28 ppb) and 3 used ones (5 similar to 7 ppb). Migration might decrease with repeated use. Pb migration was found in one used utensil (25 ppb), whereas Ni and Cd migration was not found in any sam ple. Evaporation residue was less than 11 ppm in all samples. As the m igration of metals from stainless steel kitchenware and tableware was very small, it poses no problem as regards food sanitation.