Multilayer flexible plastic packaging is rapidly replacing single-layer plastic and glass bottle packaging in the baby food market. Due to the increased complexity of its structure, such packaging is suspected to introduce additional and potentially yet unrecognised chemical migrates into the food content. In this study, a number of flexible baby food packaging products, including baby food puree and yoghurt, as well as reusable pouches, were investigated for chemical migrates using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Samples (n=79) were purchased from both online seller and offline retail stores in Australia and featured 24 brands that most commonly available in Australia. Samples were extracted by four different types of food simulants (described by the European committee in its 2011 regulation on food contact materials). The Sequential Windowed Acquisition of all Theoretical (SWATH) mass spectrometry method was used to scan food simulant extracts. Chemical migrates were identified using an in-house chemical library containing 252 entries, with 26 chemical migrates successfully identified and 23 of those considered non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), most of which are derivatised from plastic monomers and adhesives. Migrate profiles in Australia may be different from Europe, as caprolactam derivatives were only detected in Australian products. Semi-quantification of NPG-AA and AA-DEG revealed more than half of the samples containing these compounds had concentrations above the regulatory guidelines. Targeted analysis detected five bisphenols and four phthalates with no results exceeding guideline values. This study is the first to investigate major baby food pouch products in the Australian market, creating a more comprehensive chemical migration profile that may help further understand their source.

Plasticisers and unintentionally added substances in baby food pouches in the Australian market

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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