Food-Contact related Articles from the Polymer Library
Food-Contact Polymer Abstracts
October 2008
The following abstracts relate to food-contact and food packaging polymer-themed records recently added to the Polymer Library. By clicking on the 7 digit accession number or title, a Copyright Cleared copy of the full-text article can be ordered. For more information about accessing the Polymer Library please view our Subscription Information webpage.
| 1025979 | EC LIFTS RECYCLING BARRIERS |
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The European Commission has taken a stride towards harmonising the use of recycled plastics in food packaging applications across the member states of the European Union, with the formal adoption of regulation 282-2008/EC. This regulation sets out the framework for authorising recycling processes for direct food contact. Full details are given to us in this article.
European Plastics News, 35, No.7, July/Aug.2008, p.36-37, ISSN: 0306-3534 Smith C | |
| 1025285 | CALIFORNIA VOTES TO LIMIT PFOA |
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The California Assembly reversed itself on 27 August, approving the nation's first ban on the use of perfluorinated compounds in food packaging. The ban, set to begin 1 January 2010, mostly applies to items like hamburger wrappers, microwave popcorn sacks, pizza boxes and pet food bags treated with PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid. The sudden about-face came after the bill was amended so it no longer would apply to liners in cans of infant formula. DuPont is the only US producer of PFOA, which is used to make fluoropolymers including Teflon. The firm argued against the bill, noting PFOA is approved by the FDA for food-contact use. DuPont added that the bill also would ban many alternatives to PFOA, some of which have been approved recently by the FDA.
Plastics News(USA), 20, No.26, 1st Sept.2008, p.5, ISSN: 1042-802X Verespej M | |
| 1025246 | ACTIVE PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY: ODOR SCAVENGER TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PACKAGING |
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The scope of this review covers basic understanding of the sources of odour. The paper also makes a cursory reference to the origin of odour in polymer materials used in packaging and within the package. The paper then directs the reader towards the development of odour retention or removal in food packaging systems. Having developed this understanding, the odour scavenger and removal strategies based on known principles of physical and organic chemistry and chemical engineering are outlined. Systems based on activated carbon, absorbent pads, natural antioxidants, molecular sieves and zeolites are covered briefly. A note on aldehyde scavengers and removal of amine odours is also provided. The issue of residual acetaldehyde in PETP bottle grade polymer is also discussed briefly and strategies evolved for overcoming this are also addressed. The paper also attempts to provide the reader coverage of the commercial technologies employed in various odour scavenging and odour reducing applications specifically in active packaging. The paper concludes by identifying some of the key challenges for the polymer, food and packaging technologists. 2 refs.
Popular Plastics and Packaging, 53, No.8, Aug.2008, p.36-40, ISSN: 0971-0078 Rangaprasad R; Vasudeo Y B | |
| 1025162 | DETERMINATION OF BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS IN FOOD BY LC-MS/MS: DIASTEREOISOMER-SPECIFIC HEXABROMOCYCLODODECANE AND TETRABROMOBISPHENOL A |
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The levels of the brominated flame retardants hexabromocyclododecane (alpha, beta and gamma HBCD diastereoisomers) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) were determined in two studies using liquid chromatography(LC)-mass spectroscopy(MS)/MS. The methodology developed was validated in-house and used to analyse UK 2004 Total Diet Study(TDS) samples and shellfish (oysters, mussels and scallops) collected from Scotland. HBCD was detected in most samples. In both studies, the alpha HBCD diastereoisomer was generally the most abundant as opposed to the gamma diastereoisomer that tended to dominate in environmental samples and manufactured products. It is reported that selective metabolism or biotransformation of the beta and gamma diastereoisomers may be taking place. TBBPA was not detected in any samples above the limit of detection, which was as low as 0.05 microgram kg^-^1. This could be because TBBPA, unlike HBCD, was chemically bound to the polymer matrix during manufacture and not readily leached. The UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment concluded that the concentrations of HBCD and TBBPA detected in the TDS study did not raise toxicological concerns and, as levels in the shellfish samples were in a similar concentration range, it was concluded that exposure to the BFRs measured was not significant when compared with exposure from the rest of the diet. 24 refs.
Food Additives and Contaminants, 25, No.7, July 2008, p.895-903, ISSN: 0265-203X , DOI: 10.1080/02652030701882999 Driffield M; Harmer N; Bradley E; Fernandes A R; Rose M; Mortimer D; Dicks P | |
| 1025161 | DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ENGINEERED NANOPARTICLES IN FOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENT |
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This review provides an overview of the characteristics of nanoparticles that could affect their behaviour and toxicity, as well as of techniques available for their determination. Important properties include size, shape, surface properties, aggregation state, solubility, structure and chemical composition. Methods have been developed for natural or engineered nanomaterials in simple matrices, which could be optimised to provide the necessary information, including microscopy, chromatography, spectroscopy, centrifugation, as well as filtration and related techniques. A combination of these is often required. A number of challenges will arise when analysing environmental and food materials, including extraction challenges, the presence of analytical artefacts caused by sample preparation, problems of distinction between natural and engineered nanoparticles and lack of reference materials. 222 refs.
Food Additives and Contaminants, 25, No.7, July 2008, p.795-821, ISSN: 0265-203X, DOI: 10.1080/02652030802007553 Tiede K; Boxall A B A; Tear S P; Lewis J; David H; Hassellov M | |
| 1024505 | CHITOSAN BASED ANTIMICROBIAL FILMS FOR FOOD PACKAGING APPLICATIONS |
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Recent developments in the preparation of biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic chitosan-based antimicrobial films for food packaging applications are reviewed. Preparative methods for solution-cast films reported in the literature include chitosan crosslinked by aglycone geniposidic acid, glucomannan-chitosan-nisin ternary film, starch-chitosan blend film incorporating ferulic acid and chitosan films incorporating garlic oil, potassium sorbate and nisin. Literature studies on the antimicrobial activity of these chitosan-based films are also discussed. 27 refs.
E-Polymers, No.93, 2008, p.1-7, ISSN: 1618-7229 Tripathi S; Mehrotra G K; Dutta P K | |
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