The effects of temperature and ultrasound on the migration of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from plastic packaging into dairy products

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to define migration of phthalates from plastic packaging into dairy products of different fat content caused by increasing temperature and application of ultrasound on dairy product. The most common used phthalate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was investigated for migration into following food-recipients with different fat content: infant formula, milk powder, whey powder and water. The results obtained by liquid-liquid extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were compared. The base peak ion of DEHP (m/z 149) was selected for further research and recording was performed in the selected ion monitoring mode (SIM). For the considered range of phthalate concentrations, 0.25 – 2.50 μg mL–1, the response of the mass-selective detector (MSD) was linear. Results showed that the migration of DEHP from packaging material is higher in dairy products with higher percentage of fat. The mass of migrated DEHP was the highest in the sample of infant formula, followed by powdered milk, whey powder and water. Phthalates being just incorporated into plastics, and not chemically bound to plastics, show increased migration when ultrasound is applied in addition to increased temperature.