Exposure to phthalic acid, phthalate diesters and phthalate monoesters from foodstuffs: UK total diet study results.

Phthalates are ubiquitous in the environment and thus exposure to these compounds can occur in various forms. Foods are one source of such exposure. There are only a limited number of studies that describe the levels of phthalates (diesters, monoesters and phthalic acid) in foods and assess the exposure from this source.

Analysis of reaction products of food contaminants and ingredients: bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) in canned foods.

Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) is an epoxide that is used as a starting substance in the manufacture of can coatings for food-contact applications. Following migration from the can coating into food, BADGE levels decay and new reaction products are formed by reaction with food ingredients. The significant decay of BADGE was demonstrated by liquid chromatographic (LC) analysis of foodstuffs, that is, tuna, apple puree, and beer, spiked with BADGE before processing and storage.

Analytical approaches to identify potential migrants in polyester-polyurethane can coatings.

The safety of a polyester-polyurethane can coating has been assessed using a suite of complementary analytical methods to identify and estimate the concentrations of potential chemical migrants. The polyester was based on phthalic acids and aliphatic diols. The polyisocyanate cross-linking agent was 1-isocyanato-3-isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethyl cyclohexane homopolymer (IPDI) blocked with methylethylketone oxime (MEKO) to make a one-part formulation.

Determination of brominated flame retardants in food by LC-MS/MS: diastereoisomer-specific hexabromocyclododecane and tetrabromobisphenol A.

The levels of the brominated flame retardants (BFRs) hexabromocyclododecane (alpha, beta and gammaHBCD diastereoisomers) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) have been determined in two studies using LC-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 alphaHBCD diastereoisomer was generally the most abundant as opposed to the gamma diastereoisomer that tends to dominate in environmental samples and manufactured products.