An untargeted evaluation of the volatile and semi-volatile compounds migrating into food simulants from polypropylene food containers by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract

This study reports on the potential of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-ToF MS) for the exhaustive untargeted characterization of the volatile and semi-volatile analytes migrating from four commercial polypropylene food containers into four simulants (water, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, and isooctane) according to European Regulation 10/2011. Collected extracts were concentrated and directly subjected to GC×GC-ToF MS analysis without any further treatment to preserve migrants integrity. As expected, the nature and total number of compounds detected in the migrates depended on both the brand (i.e., manufacture and/or sterilization procedure) and the simulant applied. In total, 107 analytes, including some less volatile compounds, were either positively or tentatively identified in the investigated simulants, a number of these compounds being reported for the first time as migrants from this type of material. A database containing chromatographic, mass spectral and partition information concerning these compounds, plus 23 remaining unidentified, is provided.

Keywords: Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography; Food containers; Food simulants; Migration; Polypropylene.