Study on migration of melamine from food packaging materials on markets

Biomed Environ Sci. 2009 Apr;22(2):104-8. doi: 10.1016/S0895-3988(09)60030-1.

Abstract

Objectives: To study the migration of melamine into foods from plastic food packaging materials and dairy product containers commonly used in China.

Methods: 37 samples were collected from the market. The EU migration testing conditions were adopted with distilled water, 3% acetic acid, n-hexane and 15% ethanol being chosen as the simulating solutions. The HPLC method was used to detect melamine.

Results: No melamine was detected in 15 dairy product containers. Among the 22 plastic samples, 16 of polypropylene, and polycarbonate types had no detectable amount melamine while a low level of melamine was found in 3 of the 6 melamine resin containers.

Conclusion: Migration of melamine from food packaging materials in China market is in line with the requirements of EU.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • China
  • Dairy Products
  • Diffusion
  • Food Analysis
  • Food Contamination
  • Food Packaging*
  • Milk
  • Plastics / chemistry
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Triazines / chemistry*

Substances

  • Plastics
  • Triazines
  • melamine