Migrants determination and bioaccessibility study of ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) from a LAE based antimicrobial food packaging material

Ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE, ethyl-N-dodecanoyl-L-arginate hydrochloride) is a strong antimicrobial agent that was included as an active compound in an antimicrobial food packaging material. The potential existence of non-intentionally added substances (NIASs) such as impurities must therefore be checked before launching any food contact material onto the market. For this reason, an untargeted analysis of the migration was performed in both food simulants and fresh chicken breast fillets wrapped with the active material. The analysis was performed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection with a quadrupole-time-of-flight analyzer, LC–MS(QTOF), for the identification of nonvolatile substances. The migration values found for LAE were 0.94 ± 0.14 and 1.62 ± 0.70 μg/g in ethanol 10% v/v (simulant A) and in ethanol 95% v/v (simulant D), respectively, and 0.93 ± 0.17 μg/g in chicken. Other migrants such as dipropylene glycol methyl ether or tributyl-o-acetylcitrate, both coming from the coating were also found, but none of them have potential adverse effects. Bioaccessibility studies showed that after a simulated gastrointestinal digestion, LAE was not available anymore for subsequent intestinal absorption and new toxic compounds were not formed.