Plastic is a polymer material made of a high molecular polymer-resin as a basic ingredient, and then added with various additives to improve its performance. At present, almost all foods, no matter how much, are packed in plastic. Plastic packaging materials as a rising star of packaging materials, because of its rich raw materials, low cost, excellent performance, light and beautiful appearance, has become the world's fastest growing packaging materials in the past four decades.
The safety of plastic packaging materials is mainly reflected in the migration and dissolution of toxic and hazardous substances inside the material, which leads to food contamination. The main sources are as follows:
1.1 The resin itself has a certain degree of toxicity; unpolymerized free monomers, lysates (vinyl chloride, styrene, phenols, nitrile rubber, formaldehyde), degradants, and toxic substances produced during aging have an impact on food safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration pointed out that it is not polyvinyl chloride (PVC) itself but rather vinyl chloride (VCM) remaining in PVC may cause carcinogenicity after oral intake, thus prohibiting PVC products as food packaging materials. PVC free monomer vinyl chloride (VCM) has anesthetic effect, can cause the body's blood vessels to contract and produce pain, and it also has carcinogenic and teratogenic effects. It forms oxychlorinated ethylene in the liver and has a strong alkylation effect. Can be combined with DNA to produce tumors [1]. Residues in polystyrene such as styrene, ethylbenzene, toluene and cumene pose hazards to food safety. Styrene inhibits fertility in rats and reduces liver and kidney weight. Low-molecular-weight polyethylene dissolves in fats and oils to produce waxy taste, affecting product quality. The raw material of the polycarbonate resin used for making a baby bottle produces phenol, which is toxic and produces an odor. The extent to which these harmful substances affect food safety depends on the concentration of these substances in the material, the tightness of the combination, the nature of the food in contact with the material, the time, the temperature, and the solubility in the food [2].
1.2 Plastic packaging surface contamination. Due to the fact that plastics are easily energized, dust particles and micro-organisms are easily adsorbed and cause food contamination.
1.3 The toxicity of additives such as stabilizers, plasticizers, and colorants added during the manufacturing process of plastic products. Food packaging commonly used plastics PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) and PET (polyester), because the use of additives in the processing process is less, the resin itself is relatively stable, their safety is very high.
1.4 Illegal use of recycled plastics in a large number of toxic additives, heavy metals, pigments, viruses and other food contamination. Recycling and reuse of plastic materials is a general trend. Due to the complexity of recycling channels, hazardous substances often remain on recycled containers, and it is difficult to ensure complete cleaning. In order to cover up the quality defects of recycled products, some often add a lot of paints, resulting in large residual paint pigments, resulting in food contamination. For regulatory reasons, even a large amount of medical waste plastics are recycled and used, all of which pose a hidden danger to food safety. According to the national regulations, polyethylene recycling and recycling products must not be used to make food packaging materials.
1.5 Ink contamination. Ink can be roughly divided into benzene inks, benzene-free inks, alcohol inks, and water-based inks. The main materials in the ink are pigments, resins, additives and solvents. Ink manufacturers often consider the impact of resins and additives on safety, while ignoring the harm of pigments and solvents indirectly on food safety. Domestic small ink manufacturers even use dyes instead of pigments to make inks, and the migration of dyes will seriously affect the safety of foods; in addition, some inks will add some accelerators, such as silicones, to improve the adhesion fastness. This kind of material will break the bonds of the radicals at a certain drying temperature to produce methanol and other substances, and methanol will harm the human nervous system. The inks printed on plastic food packaging bags are less volatile due to toxic substances such as benzene and have a greater impact on food safety. In recent years, the qualified rate of spot inspection of plastic food packaging bags is generally low, only 50% to 60%, the main unqualified items are excessive benzene residues, etc., and the main cause of benzene exceeding the standard is to dilute the ink in the plastic packaging printing process. Use benzene-based solvents.
In July 2005, the “Weekly Quality Report†reported that CCTV reporters surveyed dozens of plastic color printing companies of different scales in four provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu and found that due to the low price of toluene, companies used thick ink. Rapidly printed on plastic film, they are used as the main raw material for blending mixed solvents. Lanzhou quality supervision auditors randomized 7 plastic color printing companies producing composite food packaging films to Gansu Provincial Product Quality Inspection Center and National Packaging Products Quality Inspection Center. The results showed that 5 out of 7 samples were examined. The benzene residue exceeded the standard, involving beef jerky, milk powder, candy, dried bean curd, and potato chips.
1.6 Composite film with adhesive. Adhesives can be roughly divided into polyether and polyurethane adhesives. Polyether adhesives are gradually being phased out, while polyurethane adhesives are aliphatic and aromatic. Adhesives can also be classified into aqueous adhesives, solvent adhesives and solventless adhesives depending on the type of use. Water-based adhesives have no impact on food safety, but due to functional limitations, they have not been widely used in China [3]. In China, solvent adhesives are still used [4]. In terms of food safety, the overwhelming majority of people just think that if the residual solvent produced is low, it will not affect food safety. In fact, this is only one-sided. In China, 99% of the solvent-based adhesives are aromatic adhesives [5]. They contain aromatic isocyanates. After being cooked at high temperatures, this bagged food can be transported into foods and hydrolyzed to aromatic amines. Is a carcinogen. China does not currently have a national standard for adhesives for food packaging. There are no heavy metal content indicators in the corporate standards of various suppliers. However, there are strict restrictions on aromatic amines in food packaging in foreign countries, and EU regulations stipulate a migration of less than 10 ppb.[5] . The European Union's Directive 94/62/EC or 90/128/EEC stipulates strict specification requirements for the content of lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium in the manufacture of plastics for composite packaging materials and packaging bags [2].
The safety of plastic packaging materials is mainly reflected in the migration and dissolution of toxic and hazardous substances inside the material, which leads to food contamination. The main sources are as follows:
1.1 The resin itself has a certain degree of toxicity; unpolymerized free monomers, lysates (vinyl chloride, styrene, phenols, nitrile rubber, formaldehyde), degradants, and toxic substances produced during aging have an impact on food safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration pointed out that it is not polyvinyl chloride (PVC) itself but rather vinyl chloride (VCM) remaining in PVC may cause carcinogenicity after oral intake, thus prohibiting PVC products as food packaging materials. PVC free monomer vinyl chloride (VCM) has anesthetic effect, can cause the body's blood vessels to contract and produce pain, and it also has carcinogenic and teratogenic effects. It forms oxychlorinated ethylene in the liver and has a strong alkylation effect. Can be combined with DNA to produce tumors [1]. Residues in polystyrene such as styrene, ethylbenzene, toluene and cumene pose hazards to food safety. Styrene inhibits fertility in rats and reduces liver and kidney weight. Low-molecular-weight polyethylene dissolves in fats and oils to produce waxy taste, affecting product quality. The raw material of the polycarbonate resin used for making a baby bottle produces phenol, which is toxic and produces an odor. The extent to which these harmful substances affect food safety depends on the concentration of these substances in the material, the tightness of the combination, the nature of the food in contact with the material, the time, the temperature, and the solubility in the food [2].
1.2 Plastic packaging surface contamination. Due to the fact that plastics are easily energized, dust particles and micro-organisms are easily adsorbed and cause food contamination.
1.3 The toxicity of additives such as stabilizers, plasticizers, and colorants added during the manufacturing process of plastic products. Food packaging commonly used plastics PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) and PET (polyester), because the use of additives in the processing process is less, the resin itself is relatively stable, their safety is very high.
1.4 Illegal use of recycled plastics in a large number of toxic additives, heavy metals, pigments, viruses and other food contamination. Recycling and reuse of plastic materials is a general trend. Due to the complexity of recycling channels, hazardous substances often remain on recycled containers, and it is difficult to ensure complete cleaning. In order to cover up the quality defects of recycled products, some often add a lot of paints, resulting in large residual paint pigments, resulting in food contamination. For regulatory reasons, even a large amount of medical waste plastics are recycled and used, all of which pose a hidden danger to food safety. According to the national regulations, polyethylene recycling and recycling products must not be used to make food packaging materials.
1.5 Ink contamination. Ink can be roughly divided into benzene inks, benzene-free inks, alcohol inks, and water-based inks. The main materials in the ink are pigments, resins, additives and solvents. Ink manufacturers often consider the impact of resins and additives on safety, while ignoring the harm of pigments and solvents indirectly on food safety. Domestic small ink manufacturers even use dyes instead of pigments to make inks, and the migration of dyes will seriously affect the safety of foods; in addition, some inks will add some accelerators, such as silicones, to improve the adhesion fastness. This kind of material will break the bonds of the radicals at a certain drying temperature to produce methanol and other substances, and methanol will harm the human nervous system. The inks printed on plastic food packaging bags are less volatile due to toxic substances such as benzene and have a greater impact on food safety. In recent years, the qualified rate of spot inspection of plastic food packaging bags is generally low, only 50% to 60%, the main unqualified items are excessive benzene residues, etc., and the main cause of benzene exceeding the standard is to dilute the ink in the plastic packaging printing process. Use benzene-based solvents.
In July 2005, the “Weekly Quality Report†reported that CCTV reporters surveyed dozens of plastic color printing companies of different scales in four provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu and found that due to the low price of toluene, companies used thick ink. Rapidly printed on plastic film, they are used as the main raw material for blending mixed solvents. Lanzhou quality supervision auditors randomized 7 plastic color printing companies producing composite food packaging films to Gansu Provincial Product Quality Inspection Center and National Packaging Products Quality Inspection Center. The results showed that 5 out of 7 samples were examined. The benzene residue exceeded the standard, involving beef jerky, milk powder, candy, dried bean curd, and potato chips.
1.6 Composite film with adhesive. Adhesives can be roughly divided into polyether and polyurethane adhesives. Polyether adhesives are gradually being phased out, while polyurethane adhesives are aliphatic and aromatic. Adhesives can also be classified into aqueous adhesives, solvent adhesives and solventless adhesives depending on the type of use. Water-based adhesives have no impact on food safety, but due to functional limitations, they have not been widely used in China [3]. In China, solvent adhesives are still used [4]. In terms of food safety, the overwhelming majority of people just think that if the residual solvent produced is low, it will not affect food safety. In fact, this is only one-sided. In China, 99% of the solvent-based adhesives are aromatic adhesives [5]. They contain aromatic isocyanates. After being cooked at high temperatures, this bagged food can be transported into foods and hydrolyzed to aromatic amines. Is a carcinogen. China does not currently have a national standard for adhesives for food packaging. There are no heavy metal content indicators in the corporate standards of various suppliers. However, there are strict restrictions on aromatic amines in food packaging in foreign countries, and EU regulations stipulate a migration of less than 10 ppb.[5] . The European Union's Directive 94/62/EC or 90/128/EEC stipulates strict specification requirements for the content of lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium in the manufacture of plastics for composite packaging materials and packaging bags [2].
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