Phthalate and adipate esters in Australian packaging materials

A total of 136 food packaging materials were analysed for the presence of six phthalate esters and one adipate ester. All of the sample materials were manufactured from either synthetic polymers or from wood pulp and most were in immediate contact with their food contents. The esters in the packaging materials were extracted into a 2:1 mixture of chloroform and methanol, and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. All of the materials examined were found to contain two or more of these compounds above a detection limit of 0.01 μg/kg. Total phthalate concentrations ranged from 5 to 8160 μg/g and adipate concentrations ranged from not detected to 1728 μg/g. In general, materials with the most surface coverage of printing inks had the greatest concentrations of phthalates. Variations were noticed in the occurrence and concentrations of phthalate and adipate esters in the packaging materials over a 12 month period during 1996 and 1997.