Rapid assessment of silver nanoparticle migration from food containers into food simulants using a qualitative method.

Migration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from food containers (FCs) has been assessed for the first time using a screening method previously validated. Migration was evaluated using water and 3% acetic acid as food simulants (FSs), from 20 to 70 °C at contact times of 2 h and 10 days. Total and migrated Ag were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the FCs and FSs, respectively. Then, the screening method was validated, and probability of detection (POD) curves were constructed in both FSs to characterize the response to AgNPs. The results provided by the present screening method showed no release of AgNPs. The FSs in contact with FCs were spiked at levels above, inside and below the unreliability region, with a reliability rate (RLR) of 0.90. Asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (AF4-ICP-MS) was used for confirmative analyses.