Chemical imaging of contaminated recycled paper and board: Towards identification of the causality of food contamination

Abstract

Contamination of recycled paper and board food packaging by mineral oil hydrocarbons caused several crises in the past years. Although the migration from paper and board to foodstuffs has been proved many times, the contamination mechanisms and causalities remain undetermined and face unresolved issues. This study takes part in the collaborative project FoodSafeBioPack, which aims at evaluating the migration of potentially carcinogenic polyaromatic molecules from recycled paper and board packaging to food. New chemical imaging methods are used to follow this contamination at the microscopic scale (fibers and fibrous network). The first images acquired of polyaromatic molecules distribution on fibers were used to develop a methodology that will help to follow their migration. The influence of using different solvents and molecules on the initial chemical potential is discussed. The description of the paper structure and initial conditions of transfer will support the development of a microscopic mass transfer model.