Evidence of Phthalates in Plastic Packaged Vegetable Oil through GCMS: A Preliminary Assessment Study

Abstract

Foods are the major sources of exposure to contaminants; the contamination of foodstuffs with undesirable substances migrated from the packaging materials has received more attention in recent years. The common food-packaging materials are considered as contaminant sources for a variety of substances. Plastic food packages may contain additives used to minimize degradation during processing, to facilitate processing, and to increase stability during storage. Additives, such as antioxidants, dyes, pigments, antifogging agents, stabilizers, and plasticizers are generally present at low levels but may migrate into the packaged food and then be ingested by the consumers. Phthalates (PAEs) are widely used as additives in plastic products. The main focus of this paper is to screen out the scenario of additive migration in Indian food stuff. Hence, purpose of this study is to test the presence of phthalates and their migration from plastic packaging to vegetable oil. Phthalate compounds represent the biggest group of plasticizing agents, both in terms of production volume and of sales volume. Their toxicity is beyond dispute: phthalates have an extremely wide sphere of activity and may be considered as polytrophic toxins. Sample was analyzed by a GC-MS method.

Keywords: Packaging, migration, additives, phthalate

Cite this Article Tripathi Ira, Singh Mukta. Evidence of phthalates in plastic packaged vegetable oil through GCMS: A preliminary assessment study. Research & Reviews: Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2015; 4(1): 43–46p.