Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate contamination of retail packed lunches caused by PVC gloves used in the preparation of foods

Plasticizer contamination of foods sold in retail packed lunches and set lu nches in restaurants was determined by GC/MS. The phthalate esters were as follows: diethyl, dipropyl, dibutyl, dipentyl, dihexyl, butylbenzyl, dicycl ohexyl, di(2-ethylhexyl), dioctyl, diisooctyl (mixture of isomers) and diis ononyl (Mixture), Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate was also determined. Sixteen pac ked lunches and ten set lunches were analysed, and in all samples the conce ntration of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the highest, at 0.80-11.8 mg/kg in packed lunches and 0.012-0.30 mg/kg in set lunches. The DEHP cont ent of five packed lunches exceeded 1.85 mg, which is the EU tolerable dail y intake (TDI) for a person of 50 kg body weight. Foodstuffs that were comp onents of the packed lunches were taken from the factory at each step of pr eparation and phthalates were determined. For example, chicken contained 0. 08 mg/kg DEHP when uncooked, 13.1 mg/kg after frying and 16.9 mg/kg after p acking. Disposable PVC gloves used in the preparation of foods were apparen tly the source of high DEHP concentrations. The gloves used during cooking or packaging were sprayed with 68% (w/w) ethanol to sterilize them. PVC glo ves from the factory contained 22 or 41% by weight of DEHP. To confirm the link with the contamination problem, samples of boiled rice, croquette and boiled dry radish were handled in the laboratory wit PVC glove containing 3 0% (w/w) DEHP. DEHP migration levels of 0.05 mg/kg in rice or 0.33 mg/kg in croquette, and 11.1 mg/kg in radish were found. The alcohol sprayed onto t he gloves increased the migration of DEHP to 2.03 mg/kg in rice, 2.45 mg/kg in croquette, and 18.4 mg/kg in radish.