Effect of relative humidity on the migration of benzophenone from paperboard into the food simulant Tenax® and modelling hereof

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of relative humidity on the migration of benzophenone from paperboard into the food simulant Tenax®. Kinetic migration investigations were carried out with three relative humidities in the interval between 39% and >73%. All investigations were carried out at a constant temperature of 34°C. It was found that the migration of benzophenone after more than 30 days was 4.8 times higher at a relative humidity of 64%-71%, and 7.3 times higher at a relative humidity of >73%, compared with that at a relative humidity of 39%-49%. Diffusion and partition coefficients were derived from the results by using a software for modelling migration in multilayer materials. Both the diffusion coefficient and the partition coefficient, between paperboard and Tenax®, decrease with increasing relative humidity. The experimental results were correctly modelled only when the paperboard was regarded as a one-layer system as compared with a two-layer system: where the main part of the paperboard (B1) has a high diffusion rate and a thin part of the paperboard (B2) in contact with the foodstuff has a lower diffusion rate.

A Comparison of the Migration of ‘Spiked’ and ‘Intrinsic’ Substances from Paper and Board into Raisins and into Tenax as a Food Simulant

“…If that were the case, then the different migration behaviour of the spiked substances could be because the time allowed for them to become fully equilibrated (a standing time of 1 week at room temperature was used) was insufficient. It is noteworthy that in their study of the effect of humidity on benzophenone migration, where the benzophenone originated from a printed and uv‐cured overvarnish, Danish workers kept the paperboard at 23°C for about 9 months before use . It was not stated why such a long standing time was used nor if this was deliberate or not.…”

“…Nonetheless, active sites on the P/B fibre surface and the likelihood of non‐linear sorption isotherms seem to be the most likely cause of the different behaviours of non‐spiked and spiked substances. In this context, increased humidity during contact with certain foodstuffs or high relative humidity of the board was said to significantly increase the diffusion coefficients in the surface layer B 2 , and this rationale was used to explain the behaviour of benzophenone at different P/B humidity values …”

Migration by ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ food contact? ‘Dry’ and ‘wetting’ foods? Experimental data for ‘touching’ contact of dry foods with paper and board

“…Again the question was not addressed whether there could also be migration of higher boiling (essentially involatile) substances by a mechanism other than gas phase transfer. Barnkob and Petersen (2013) determined the effect of humidity on the migration of benzophenone from paperboard, confirmed by Hauder et al (2013), which suggests a mechanism not primarily determined by volatility in terms of boiling point, but as volatility over the matrix.…”

Novel Test Approach for Evaluating and Modelling Barrier Properties of Food Contact Materials Against Mineral Oil Contaminants

“…For a strong barrier and highly absorbent food simulant such as Tenax, the diffusion through the barrier dominates the results. In such a case, the various other sorption mechanisms can be neglected, and the diffusion constants can be determined using a solution of the diffusion equation for the concentration c , with given boundary conditions . However, with weaker barriers or less‐absorbent food stimulants, the sorption of the fibre network and saturation of the simulant with studied compound may become relevant.…”