LAUSR

Abstract The commercial application of food irradiation has raised increasing concern regarding the migration of chemical hazards from irradiated food packaging materials which may threaten food safety and human health. In this study, polymer additives and radiolysis products that migrated from irradiated PET/PE films into a fatty food simulant (95% ethanol) were identified using a UHPLC-QTOF/MS method. Based on the identification results, six additives were selected and their migration behaviors were evaluated under the effect of gamma and electron beam irradiation at a dose of 10 kGy. No significant change in migration levels was observed after irradiation treatment in additives with superior resistance to irradiation (e.g., fatty acid amides). Migration levels of additives vulnerable to irradiation (e.g., antioxidants and disubstituted glycerides) exhibited a decrease, which varied between the different types of irradiation treatments. Decrease in the concentration of phosphite antioxidant (Irgafos 168) was associated with increase in the concentration of its oxidized product (Irgafos 168-ox) that was induced by irradiation. In addition, migration levels of additives were affected by partitioning between the polymer and the food simulant. A high migration level was observed in antioxidants that were predominantly present in the food simulant (due to migration) rather than in the polymer before irradiation treatment. The findings of the present study provide insights into future studies on chemical migration from packaging materials into irradiated food.