A comprehensive NMR methodology to assess the composition of biobased and biodegradable polymers in contact with food

Extraction of stabilizers from polymers: Separation of oligomeric hindered amine light stabilizers and phenolic antioxidants from polyolefins using liquid chromatography and high-temperature solid-phase extraction

The extraction of different stabilizers from a polymer matrix and the subsequent separation of said stabilizers is one of the most important as well as challenging undertakings in polymer chemistry. A multitude of stabilizers exists, each of which may be hard to extract, be difficult if not impossible to separate from other stabilizers or necessitate very selected and time-consuming intermediate stages for separation. Certain polymer matrices even pose additional challenges, such as polyolefins being only soluble at elevated temperatures. One of the most well-established approaches for the extraction of stabilizers is Soxhlet extraction. However, even this highly successful approach shows only limited success with regard to the extraction of the ever more relevant oligomeric stabilizers or the extraction of multiple stabilizers in a one-shot approach. Moreover, performing Soxhlet extractions often necessitates ≥24 h. For these reasons, alternative approaches for the extraction of stabilizers from polymers are highly sought after. An approach with enormous potential is solid-phase extraction, which allows the selective retention and enrichment of stabilizers. Herein, the very first application of high-temperature solid-phase extraction for the extraction of stabilizers from polyolefin matrices is described; as with other extraction techniques, the identification and quantification of the stabilizers is then allowed. At temperatures of 140-160°C, it was possible to adsorb common polyolefin stabilizers selectively on a silica solid phase from their polyolefin matrix. To predict high-temperature solid-phase extraction test conditions, first LC tests are necessary, offering an elegant approach for the separation of polyolefins from oligomeric stabilizers, which was not achievable until now.

An untargeted evaluation of food contact materials by flow injection analysis-mass spectrometry (FIA-MS) combined with independent components analysis (ICA)

Food contact materials (FCMs), especially plastics, are known to be a potential source of contaminants in food. In fact, various groups of additives are used to protect the integrity of the material during processing and life time. However, these intentionally added substances (IAS) could also lead to degradation products called non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), due to reactions occurring in the polymeric material. Complex mixtures of components may therefore be generated within the material, creating a source of potential migrating substances towards food in contact. In this context, an innovative analytical approach is proposed in order to assess IAS and NIAS in plastic FCMs for a fast screening of their composition. For this purpose, solvent extracts of polyethylene (PE) pellets, containers and films were analyzed by flow injection analysis-mass spectrometry (FIA-MS). This direct approach offers the ability to perform a large number of analyses in a short time. Mass spectral fingerprints were then treated by a multivariate data analysis technique called independent components analysis (ICA) in order to overcome the complexity of such data and to highlight hidden information related to IAS and NIAS molecules. ICA applied on mass spectral fingerprints of PE extracts highlighted group discriminations related to different m/z values which were putatively assigned to IAS and also to NIAS. In order to confirm these putative annotations, a hybrid LTQ-Orbitrap was used for high resolution mass spectrometry analysis. Moreover, MS/MS experiments were performed on some discriminant ions to improve their putative identification. The proposed methodology combining FIA-MS fingerprints and ICA proved its efficiency in identifying IAS and NIAS in plastic FCMs and its capability to discriminate different PE samples, in a relatively fast approach compared to classical analytical techniques. This approach may help the FCMs classification for compounders in the selection of the starting substances in plastic formulation and for plastic converters in the control of manufacturing processes as well as for the monitoring of final products.

Food metabolomics: from farm to human

Metabolomics, one of the latest components in the suite of systems biology, has been used to understand the metabolism and physiology of living systems, including microorganisms, plants, animals and humans. Food metabolomics can be defined as the application of metabolomics in food systems, including food resources, food processing and diet for humans. The study of food metabolomics has increased gradually in the recent years, because food systems are directly related to nutrition and human health. This review describes the recent trends and applications of metabolomics to food systems, from farm to human, including food resource production, industrial food processing and food intake by humans.