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Migration of bisphenol A from polycarbonate plastic food contact materials and articles

Project Code: A03036

07/03/2011

Pira International
Cooper, I ; Summerfield, W

Twenty samples of polycarbonate plastic materials or articles intended to come into contact with food were obtained from retail outlets or purchased via the internet. Migration tests were performed with both simulants and food in order to identify situations of use that could give rise to the migration of bisphenol A (BPA) and therefore, potentially expose the consumer to risk. All migration results were considerably below the statutory specific migration limit (SML) for BPA, 3 mg/kg. The Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) was reviewed by the Scientific Committee for Food in 2002 and a temporary TDI of 0.01 milligrams/kilogram set. This is equivalent to an SML of 0.6 mg/kg. All values fell below this revised value. As relatively few food samples have been analysed during this research a comparison of intake with the TDI cannot be made. The migration tests were performed in accordance with CEN standard EN 13130-1 (1) where practically feasible. Exposure conditions were selected that reflected realistic but worst foreseeable conditions of use. Initially migration tests were performed on all twenty samples using the appropriate EU food simulants (Directive 97/48/EEC) according to the intended use of the article.

Three samples, with detectable levels of BPA migration were then selected for repeat use testing with food simulants. Five samples, again with detectable BPA migration were selected for migration testing with food. Two further samples were then selected for repeat use testing with food. All migration tests were conducted in triplicate, and where possible conducted in such a way so as not to expose a cut edge to the food. When selected samples were cut, higher migration results were obtained. The analyses were validated by measuring the recovery of BPA from spiked
simulants and spiked foodstuffs. Migration was detected into food simulants in thirteen out of the twenty samples. Levels ranged from 0.001 mg/kg (1 microgram/kg) to 0.029 mg/kg (29 microgram/kg). The repeat use migration tests into food simulants showed the level of BPA migration to decrease with each exposure. Of all the simulants, olive oil was observed to give the highest migration values for the majority of samples tested with both fatty and aqueous simulants.

Migration into food was less than that measured into aqueous food simulants, in most cases, and always less than into the fatty food simulant olive oil after application of the appropriate reduction factor (RF). Levels were up to 0.0018 mg/kg.

Final report

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