Development of an analytical method for the determination of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) from printing inks in food packaging.

An analysis method was developed to detect chemical markers of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) from offset printing inks in food packaging materials. 16 aromatic hydrocarbons were used as target analytes and different solid phase extraction procedures (SPE) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were tested. The concentration range studied was 0.

Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP) and Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatography (APGC) coupled to Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (QTOF-MS) as alternative techniques to trace aromatic markers of mineral oils in food packaging.

The aim of this work was to select and identify the best markers of aromatic hydrocarbon mineral oil (MOAH) in food packaging. For this purpose, a series of mineral oils was initially analysed. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the alkylated isomers of Methylnaphthalene (MNS), Diisopropylnaphtalene (DIPNs), Dibenzothiophenes (DBTS), Methyldibenzothiophene (MDBTs), Dimethyldibenzothiophenes (DMDBTs) and Benzonaphthiophenes (BNTS) were then explored.