Is comprehensive analysis of potentially relevant migrants from recycled paperboard into foods feasible?

Legislation on food contact materials, mainly focusing on food safety, requires the absence of potentially harmful substances in the migrate from packaging materials. For recycled paperboard with essentially unknown input this presupposes comprehensive analysis of all substances potentially migrating above the regulatory threshold. Present chemical analysis is strong in target analysis, but not in methodologies enabling comprehensive analysis of unknown mixtures at low detection limits. An attempt was made to analyze the potential migrants into dry foods as comprehensively as possible. The required detection limit was derived from the conventional regulatory European detection limit of 0.01 mg/kg in food, which was approximated by a detection limit in paperboard of 0.1 mg/kg. Various obstacles had to be overcome and adjusted or even new tools were required. Compromises were unavoidable, which could have resulted in loss of relevant components. This paper points out facets of related analytical methodology, but also provides an analytical base for the information of regulators about the feasibility of the old legal requirements that substances endangering human health must not migrate into food.

► Comprehensive analysis is needed, e.g., to rule out presence of toxic compounds. ► Detection limit must satisfy regulatory requirements. ► Bulk constituents must be removed to prevent overloading. ► Solvents covering all needs. ► Fractionation at high resolution to minimize overlap.