The surge in food delivery systems during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic necessitated this study of heavy metal migration from food contact materials (FCMs). A total of 104 samples of FCMs, comprising 51 polypropylene (PP), 21 polyethylene (PE), and 32 polystyrene (PS) samples of six different types of FCMs (containers, covers, table utensils, cups, pouches, and wrappers) used for food delivery distributed in Korea, were collected and investigated for migration of three heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and As) using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine whether they complied with Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers, and Packages. Acetic acid (4%, v/v) was used as the food simulant, and tests were performed at 100oC (in harsh conditions) for 30 min. Linearity of Pb, Cd, and As showed acceptable results with a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.9999. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of Pb, Cd, and As were 0.001, 0.001, and 0.001 μg/L and 0.002, 0.003, and 0.003 μg/L, respectively. Accuracy and precision results complied with the criteria presented in the European Commission Joint Research Centre guidelines. The average concentration of Pb, Cd, and As migration detected in a total of 104 samples was 0.009–0.260 μg/L, which was very low compared with the migration specification set in the Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers, and Packages. The maximum level of Pb corresponded to 0.23% of the migration limit. There were no samples exceeding the limit. Thus, this study confirmed that the heavy metal contents of FCMs used for delivery food distributed in Korea were safely managed. The data from this study represent an invaluable source for science-based safety management of hazardous heavy metals migrating from FCMs used in the food delivery industry.

폴리락타이드 재질의 식품용 기구 및 용기·포장에서 식품으로 이행될 우려가 있는 유해 중금속인 납, 카드뮴 및 비소의 이행량을 측정하고 안전성을 평가하기 위하여 국내에 유통중인 폴리락타이드 시료 총 211건을 수거하였다. 용출실험은 ‘식품용 기구 및 용기·포장 공전’의 조건 에 따라 식품모사용매인 4% acetic acid로 하였으며 온도 조건으로 70oC와 가혹사용조건인 100oC 모두 적용하여 이 행량을 비교하였다. 납, 카드뮴 및 비소의 이행량은 모두 70oC보다 100oC의 조건에서 증가하는 경향을 보였으나, 납 의 최대 이행량은 기준·규격과 비교하여 1.0%의 낮은 수 준이었고, 카드뮴은 모두 미량이 검출되었으며, 비소의 최대 이행량은 기준·규격 대비 3.9%의 낮은 수준으로 기준·규격을 초과하는 시료는 없었다. 이행량 결과를 바탕으로 납, 카드뮴 및 비소의 일일추정섭취량을 산출한 후 잠정주간섭취허용량 등과 비교하는 안전성평가를 진행하였으며, 국내에 유통되는 식품용 폴리락타이드 기구 및 용기·포장을 통한 납, 카드뮴 및 비소의 일일추정섭취량은 2.5 × 10−5~ 2.0 × 10−3μg/kg bw/day인 것으로 산출되었다. 용출조건별로는 70oC, 30분에서 카드뮴의 일일추정섭취량이 가장 낮았고, 100oC, 30분에서의 납 일일추정섭취량이 2.0 × 10−3μg/kg bw/day로 제일 높게 나타났으나, 납의 위해도는 인체안전기준(25 μg/kg bw/week)과 비교시 0.055% 수준으로 매우 낮음을 확인되었다. 이를 통하여 국내 유통 폴리락타이드 재질 식품용 기구 및 용기·포장에서의 납, 카드뮴 및 비소의 이행량은 매우 낮은 수준임을 확인하였고, 본 연구의 결과는 향후 식품용 기구 및 용기· 포 장의 안전관리를 위한 과학적인 근거자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

Food contact packaging material should be stable and non-reactive with the food that it is in contact with, and must promote the safety of food. However, for a number of years, there has been evidence that indefinitely small amounts of chemicals could migrate or leach from food packaging materials into the foods they hold. The chemistry and toxicity of such leachates are well-known and documented; and there is a growing concern over the matter among the general public. In addition, food regulatory agencies are imposing more stringent regulations on the maximum allowable amounts of known leachates into foods in recent years. The majority of toxicity studies have revealed that trace amounts of leachates pose no immediate health problems in humans. However, studies on the effects of long-term exposure or synergistic/cumulative toxicity are still lacking. The present review provides an overview of the chemical nature and toxicity of certain leachates from various types of food contact packaging materials that are in wide use.

Additives in plastics are capable of migrating from the packaging materials into the foodstuffs, thereby presenting a source of contamination and a potential health risk to the consumer. The migration from packaging materials into foodstuffs is first of all regulated by examining the amounts of global and specific migrated components. Besides, there is worldwide still a need for practical methods for measuring and monitoring migration from polymers, especially for the testing of migration into fatty foodstuffs. Therefore, these studies were undertaken to investigate the safety status of domestic plastic packaging materials with respect to migration. Another objective of this study was to examine the applicability of ethanol as an alternative fatty food simulant substituting for olive oil and n-heptane. The evaporation residues for various domestic plastic samples determined as described in Korean food laws were in the level from 4.3 to 14.5 mg/l, which were much lower than the limit value of 150 mg/l. The global migration values into 95 % ethanol showed to be comparable to those into n-heptane, while the olive oil migration values were comparably higher than those into ethanol or n-heptane and moreover they were not reproducible. The kinetic migration behavior of additives in polyolefin samples into 95% ethanol showed a Fickian diffusion process. The results of these studies on global migration and kinetic testings demonstrate that the ethanol could be successfully substitute for the olive oil and n-heptane as an alternative fatty food simulant, at least in contact with polyolefins.