Interactions between poly(vinyl chloride) stabilised with epoxidised sunflower oil and food simulants

Commercial sunflower oil was epoxidised and used as organic co-stabiliser for rigid and plasticised poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) containing Zn and Ca stearates as primary stabilisers and stearic acid as lubricant. For applications in the packaging of foodstuffs, migration testing must be performed. The detection and the quantification of contaminants migrating from the polymer into the food simulants are essential for the safety assessment of food contact plastic packaging materials. For that purpose, two food simulants were used: olive oil and 15% (v/v) aqueous ethanol. These represent fatty and moist food and beverages, respectively. The test conditions were 12 days at 40 °C. Circular samples of rigid PVC and PVC plasticised with dioctyl phthalate were immersed in a known volume of food simulant. A circular sample and 10 ml of food simulant were taken off every day to be analysed. Each sample was wiped and weighed. The rate of variation of the mass was determined as a function of time. The evolution of the peroxide index of olive oil with time was analysed. The specific migrations of the present additives were investigated by using two analytical methods (atomic absorption spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). The influence of various parameters such as the nature of food simulant, the presence or the absence of the plasticiser, the agitation and time of contact was considered.