Dietary exposure to chemical migrants from food contact materials: a probabilistic approach

Food and beverage can coatings: A review on chemical analysis, migration, and risk assessment

The internal surface of food and beverage cans is generally covered with polymeric coatings to preserve food and protect metal substrate from corrosion. Coating materials are complex formulations that contain different starting substances (e.g., monomers, prepolymers, additives, etc.) and in addition during the manufacture of the material several compounds can be formed (e.g., reaction products, degradation products, etc.). These substances have the potential to migrate into the food. Many of them have not been identified and only some have been toxicologically evaluated. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review on the analytical methods used for the identification of potential migrants in can coatings. The migration and exposure to chemicals migrating from can coatings are also reviewed and discussed so far, which is essential for risk assessment. Moreover, a brief section on the current status of the legislation on varnishes and coatings for food contact in Europe is also presented. Liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and fluorescence detectors and particularly to mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry seem to be the techniques of choice for the identification of potential migrants in can coatings. Some studies have reported migration levels of BPA (bisphenol A) and BADGE (bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) and derivatives exceeding the specific migration limits set in the European legislation. On the whole, low dietary exposure to migrants from can coatings has been reported. However, it is interesting to highlight that in these studies the combined exposure to multiple chemicals has not been considered.

The amount and detection method of styrene in foods: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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For the first time, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the amount of styrene in food was performed.

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It was found that the type of food is directly related to the amount of styrene.

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It was found that the amount of fat in food products has a direct effect on the amount of styrene.

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The final estimated amount of styrene in food is acceptable.

The ingredients in food packaging migrate to the food inside. One of the most common compounds used for packaging of food is polystyrene. This systematic review aimed to investigate the level of styrene’s pollution in food packed with polystyrene. The original articles include keywords styrene, polystyrene, food, contamination, pollution, “food packaging” were searched in Web of science, Medline, Scopus, and Science Direct. A total of 227 studies were achieved. The articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded with the initial evaluation. The quality assessment was conducted for full paper and finally data were extracted from 8 selected articles. Mata analysis, meta-regression, subgroup analysis, and publication bias was also conducted with comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) software. Most of the examined samples were dairy products. The amount of fat in dairy products is an important factor in increasing the migration of styrene. The shelf life of product also had effect on migration of styrene. The overall average was estimated as 91.53 ± 26.18 µg/kg in food matrix. This amount is less than the permissible level. The results of meta regression showed that the type of food affects the pooled mean of styrene in the food. There was no publication bias for the selected articles.

Chemical contaminants in canned food and can-packaged food: a review

Canning, as a preservation technique, is widely used to extend the shelf life as well as to maintain the quality of perishable foods. During the canning process, most of the microorganisms are killed, reducing their impact on food quality and safety. However, the presence of a range of undesirable chemical contaminants has been reported in canned foods and in relation to the canning process. The present review provides an overview of these chemical contaminants, including metals, polymeric contaminants and biogenic amine contaminants. They have various origins, including migration from the can materials, formation during the canning process, or contamination during steps required prior to canning (e.g. the disinfection step). Some other can-packaged foods (e.g. beverages or milk powder), which are not canned foods by definition, were also discussed in this review, as they have been frequently studied simultaneously with canned foods in terms of contamination. The occurrence of these contaminants, the analytical techniques involved, and the factors influencing the presence of these contaminants in canned food and can-packaged food are summarized and discussed.

Evaluation of potential health effects associated with occupational and environmental exposure to styrene - an update

The potential chronic health risks of occupational and environmental exposure to styrene were evaluated to update health hazard and exposure information developed since the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis risk assessment for styrene was performed in 2002. The updated hazard assessment of styrene's health effects indicates human cancers and ototoxicity remain potential concerns. However, mechanistic research on mouse lung tumors demonstrates these tumors are mouse-specific and of low relevance to human cancer risk. The updated toxicity database supports toxicity reference levels of 20 ppm (equates to 400 mg urinary metabolites mandelic acid + phenylglyoxylic acid/g creatinine) for worker inhalation exposure and 3.7 ppm and 2.5 mg/kg bw/day, respectively, for general population inhalation and oral exposure. No cancer risk value estimates are proposed given the established lack of relevance of mouse lung tumors and inconsistent epidemiology evidence. The updated exposure assessment supports inhalation and ingestion routes as important. The updated risk assessment found estimated risks within acceptable ranges for all age groups of the general population and workers with occupational exposures in non-fiber-reinforced polymer composites industries and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP) workers using closed-mold operations or open-mold operations with respiratory protection. Only FRP workers using open-mold operations not using respiratory protection have risk exceedances for styrene and should be considered for risk management measures. In addition, given the reported interaction of styrene exposure with noise, noise reduction to sustain levels below 85 dB(A) needs be in place.

Dietary intake of 4-nonylphenol and bisphenol A in Taiwanese population: Integrated risk assessment based on probabilistic and sensitive approach

4-Nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) are high-production and high-volume chemicals used to manufacture various commercial products. They are also ubiquitous contaminants that disrupt endocrine systems in wildlife and humans. We collected, from Taiwan cities with the highest food production, and analyzed, using high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS), 278 food samples for NP and BPA from 11 categories. We found background levels of 100% for NP and 72% for BPA in total samples. High levels of contamination (up to 918 and 49.4 μg/kg) were found in some foods of seafood and animal origin. We used a probabilistic approach to calculate daily dietary dose (Monte Carlo-estimated 95th percentile dietary exposure [MCS 95]) from the Taiwan National Food Consumption database for each sex- and age-specified population. For NP and BPA, the highest average daily dose (ADDs) were in the 4- to 6-year-old group (MCS 95 = 1.57/1.28 and 0.157/0.147 [Male/Female] μg/kg bw/day, respectively), and the lowest ADDs were in the ≥65-year-old group (MCS 95 = 0.674/0.581 and 0.054/0.045 [M/F] μg/kg bw/day, respectively). Based on the European Food Safety Authority (4 μg/kg bw/day for BPA) and Danish Institute of Safety and Toxicology guidelines (5 μg/kg bw/day for NP), the 95th percentile HQ of NP and BPA intake in different sex- and age-specified groups in Taiwan posed no risks through dietary exposure. The intake quantity and concentrations of grains, livestock, and seafood are important variables for the integrated risk of NP and BPA. In conclusion, a combination of multiple and long-term exposure via food consumption should be considered rather than individual endocrine-disrupting chemicals during dietary risk assessment in specific populations. SUMMARY: The 95th percentile HQ of NP and BPA intake in different age and sex groups in Taiwan posed no risks through dietary exposure based on probabilistic and sensitive approach.

The consumption of canned food and beverages and urinary Bisphenol A concentrations in NHANES 2003-2008

BACKGROUND

Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) is ubiquitous and includes dietary and environmental pathways. BPA is rapidly glucuronidated in the body, and both BPA and its conjugates can be readily measured in urine.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the contribution of canned food and beverages, known sources of BPA contamination, to BPA biomarkers of exposure using dietary and urinary BPA concentration information in a representative sample of the U.S.

METHODS

We evaluated 7669 NHANES 2003-2008 participants 6 years and older with 24-h dietary recall information and urinary BPA concentrations available. Using linear regression models, we evaluated the associations between recent canned food and beverage consumption and urinary BPA concentrations, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

We found 9% of our participants consumed one canned food in the past 24h and 2% consumed two or more canned foods. The consumption of one canned food vs. none was associated with 24% (95% CI 1.11, 1.38) higher urinary BPA concentrations. The consumption of two or more canned foods vs. none was associated with 54% (95% CI 1.27, 1.88) higher urinary BPA concentrations. The consumption of one or more of some specific types of canned foods vs. none were associated with higher urinary BPA concentrations: 41% (95% CI 1.23, 1.63) higher BPA for vegetable and fruit, 70% (95% CI 1.18, 2.44) higher for canned pasta, and 229% (95% CI 1.22, 4.30) higher for canned soup. Canned beverages were not associated with urinary BPA concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

Canned food, including some specific types such as canned vegetable and fruit, canned pasta, and canned soup were associated with higher levels of urinary BPA concentrations.

Estimates of dietary exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) from light metal packaging using food consumption and packaging usage data: a refined deterministic approach and a fully probabilistic (FACET) approach

The FACET tool is a probabilistic model to estimate exposure to chemicals in foodstuffs, originating from flavours, additives and food contact materials. This paper demonstrates the use of the FACET tool to estimate exposure to BPA (bisphenol A) from light metal packaging. For exposure to migrants from food packaging, FACET uses industry-supplied data on the occurrence of substances in the packaging, their concentrations and construction of the packaging, which were combined with data from a market research organisation and food consumption data supplied by national database managers. To illustrate the principles, UK packaging data were used together with consumption data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) dietary survey for 19-64 year olds for a refined deterministic verification. The UK data were chosen mainly because the consumption surveys are detailed, data for UK packaging at a detailed level were available and, arguably, the UK population is composed of high consumers of packaged foodstuffs. Exposures were run for each food category that could give rise to BPA from light metal packaging. Consumer loyalty to a particular type of packaging, commonly referred to as packaging loyalty, was set. The BPA extraction levels used for the 15 types of coating chemistries that could release BPA were in the range of 0.00005-0.012 mg dm(-2). The estimates of exposure to BPA using FACET for the total diet were 0.0098 (mean) and 0.0466 (97.5th percentile) mg/person/day, corresponding to 0.00013 (mean) and 0.00059 (97.5th percentile) mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for consumers of foods packed in light metal packaging. This is well below the current EFSA (and other recognised bodies) TDI of 0.05 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). These probabilistic estimates were compared with estimates using a refined deterministic approach drawing on the same input data. The results from FACET for the mean, 95th and 97.5th percentile exposures to BPA lay between the lowest and the highest estimates from the refined deterministic calculations. Since this should be the case, for a fully probabilistic compared with a deterministic approach, it is concluded that the FACET tool has been verified in this example. A recent EFSA draft opinion on exposure to BPA from different sources showed that canned foods were a major contributor and compared results from various models, including those from FACET. The results from FACET were overall conservative.

Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether induces adipogenic differentiation of multipotent stromal stem cells through a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-independent mechanism

BACKGROUND

Bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), used in manufacturing coatings and resins, leach from packaging materials into food. Numerous studies suggested that BPA and BADGE may have adverse effects on human health, including the possibility that exposure to such chemicals can be superimposed on traditional risk factors to initiate or exacerbate the development of obesity. BPA is a suspected obesogen, whereas BADGE, described as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) antagonist, could reduce weight gain.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to test the adipogenic effects of BADGE in a biologically relevant cell culture model.

METHODS

We used multipotent mesenchymal stromal stem cells (MSCs) to study the adipogenic capacity of BADGE and BPA and evaluated their effects on adipogenesis, osteogenesis, gene expression, and nuclear receptor activation.

DISCUSSION

BADGE induced adipogenesis in human and mouse MSCs, as well as in mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In contrast, BPA failed to promote adipogenesis in MSCs, but induced adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. BADGE exposure elicited an adipogenic gene expression profile, and its ability to induce adipogenesis and the expression of adipogenic genes was not blocked by known PPARγ antagonists. Neither BADGE nor BPA activated or antagonized retinoid "X" receptor (RXR) or PPARγ in transient transfection assays.

CONCLUSIONS

BADGE can induce adipogenic differentiation in both MSCs and in preadipocytes at low nanomolar concentrations comparable to those that have been observed in limited human biomonitoring. BADGE probably acts through a mechanism that is downstream of, or parallel to, PPARγ.

Feasibility study on the use of probabilistic migration modeling in support of exposure assessment from food contact materials

The use of probabilistic approaches in exposure assessments of contaminants migrating from food packages is of increasing interest but the lack of concentration or migration data is often referred as a limitation. Data accounting for the variability and uncertainty that can be expected in migration, for example, due to heterogeneity in the packaging system, variation of the temperature along the distribution chain, and different time of consumption of each individual package, are required for probabilistic analysis. The objective of this work was to characterize quantitatively the uncertainty and variability in estimates of migration. A Monte Carlo simulation was applied to a typical solution of the Fick's law with given variability in the input parameters. The analysis was performed based on experimental data of a model system (migration of Irgafos 168 from polyethylene into isooctane) and illustrates how important sources of variability and uncertainty can be identified in order to refine analyses. For long migration times and controlled conditions of temperature the affinity of the migrant to the food can be the major factor determining the variability in the migration values (more than 70% of variance). In situations where both the time of consumption and temperature can vary, these factors can be responsible, respectively, for more than 60% and 20% of the variance in the migration estimates. The approach presented can be used with databases from consumption surveys to yield a true probabilistic estimate of exposure.

Use of a food-consumption database with packaging information to estimate exposure to food-packaging migrants: expoxidized soybean oil and styrene monomer

There is no set protocol for completing refined exposure assessments of food-packaging migrants in the European Union. One novel method that could be used to provide more realistic exposure assessments and also reduce uncertainty in the exposure estimation could be the use of food consumption surveys that also have packaging information. The aim of the current study was to estimate exposure to two food-packaging migrants (expoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) and styrene monomer) using a food-consumption database that collected packaging information. The Irish National Children's Food Survey (NCFS) was completed in 2003-04 and it collected information on the type and amount of food consumed by 594 Irish children aged 5-12 years, in addition to the type of packaging used for these foods. The Irish Food Packaging Database (IFPD) was completed in parallel to this food consumption survey and recorded exact information on the contact layer used for the packaging. In a database that combined information from the NCFS and the IFPD, the packaging materials that could contain the target migrants were identified. If a food was packaged in a material that could contain the migrant, it was assumed that the migrant was present in the food. For the exposure assessment of ESBO the 90th percentile migration values of ESBO in foods derived from the literature were used. This was similar to a method as used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in their exposure assessment of ESBO for adults. Two scenarios of styrene exposure were undertaken in this study. In the first scenario the 90th percentile migration value for styrene found in foods was used; in the second scenario the maximum level of styrene found in foods was used. These migration values were derived from the literature. The mean intake of ESBO for Irish children was 0.023 mg kg-1 body weight day-1, which is well below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 1 mg kg-1 body weight day-1 set by the Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) in 1999. The food group that contributed most to ESBO intake was tomato sauces packed in glass jars with polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-lined metal lids (46.8%). For styrene, the mean intake was 0.122 microg kg-1 body weight day-1 when using the 90th percentile migration values and 0.169 microg kg-1 body weight day-1 when using the maximum migration values. These estimated intakes are below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 40 microg kg-1 body weight day-1, which was established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 1984. Therefore, the estimated intakes of the two migrants are not of concern for Irish Children and uncertainty is reduced in the assessment due to the fact that information is available on the type of foods consumed the type of packaging used for these foods.

Estimation of exposure to food packaging materials. 3: Development of consumption factors and food-type distribution factors from data collected on Irish children

There are many initiatives in Europe trying to refine the exposure assessment for food packaging migrants. In the USA, the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) uses food consumption and food-type distribution factors to aid the exposure assessment process and generate more realistic estimates of exposure. The present study developed food-consumption factors and food-type distribution factors for Irish children aged 5-12 years from data collected as part of a National Children's Food Survey (NCFS) completed in Ireland in 2003-04, combined with data from the 2003-05 Irish Food Packaging Database and from literature data on surface area-to-weight ratios for food packaging. Consumption factors are defined as the fraction of a person's diet likely to contact a specific food-contact material, while food-type distribution factors reflect the fraction of all food contacting each material that is aqueous, acidic, alcoholic or fatty. In this study, it was found that 'total plastics' had the highest consumption factor of 0.83, while 'total paper and board' had a factor of 0.13 and 'total metal and alloys' had a factor of 0.06. Although it is tentative to compare the US FDA factors with the factors derived in the current study, as the US FDA data are for the total US population, the consumption factor for 'total plastics' in the present study (0.83) was similar to that used by the US FDA (0.79). However, a large difference existed for the consumption factor for 'total metal and alloys' in the Irish data (0.06) and the US FDA data (0.2). In terms of the type of materials used for foods, glass was used mainly for acidic foods (0.67), while plastic was uniformly used for all food types. The food-contact area for plastic packaging for all foods consumed by children was 10.67 dm2/child day(-1), which is slightly lower than the proposed value for the average European consumer of 12.4 dm2/person day(-1). However, this should be expected, as children do not consume as much food as adults. When scenario exposure estimates were made, it was found that when using European Union assumptions, estimates were much larger than when using consumption factors and food-type distribution factors in the exposure assessment, even when conservative assumptions were employed for the consumption factor. This study highlights the potential use of consumption factors and food-type distribution factors in the refinement of the exposure assessment process and how these factors can be calculated using data collected as part of a national food survey.

Estimation of exposure to food-packaging materials. 2: Patterns of intakes of packaged foods in Irish Children aged 5–12 years

In the European Union (EU), many assumptions are employed to calculate the intake of migrating chemicals from food packaging. However, very little is known about the actual intake of packaged food, the type of this food and the type of packaging used for this food. The objective of the current study was to examine intakes of packaged food in children aged 5-12 years to provide information on the types of food that are packaged and the type of packaging used. To do this, a food-consumption database, which also recorded information on packaging, was merged with a packaging database, which provided information on the contact layers of packaging. Foods were classified into EU Food categories according to European Council Directive EC 85/575/EEC (European Council 1985), which determined their food type (i.e. aqueous, acidic, alcoholic and fatty). The mean daily intake of all packaged food was 1195 g day-1 with an upper intake of 1959 g day-1 (97.5th percentile); the intake of food packaged in plastic was 993 g day-1 with an upper percentile of 1692 g day-1 (97.5th percentile). The mean daily intake of fat from all packaged food was 62 g day-1, with an upper intake of 100 g day-1 (97.5th percentile). When this was investigated further, it was found that the mean fat intake from packaged 'fatty' foods only was 32 g day-1, with an upper intake of 61 g day-1 (97.5th percentile). The food that contributed most to fat intake was milk. As many food chemical intake assessments are moving towards probabilistic methods, probabilities of a food being packaged and the probability of the type of packaging used were determined. The probability of food being packaged was 0.88. Some foods not 100% packaged included fruit, vegetables, liquid beverages non-alcoholic (includes water) and bread. Probabilities were also derived for the packaging types used for food. It can be concluded that not all the individual assumptions used in the EU exposure assessment are conservative, but in combination they are conservative.

Approach to stochastic modelling of consumer exposure for any substance from canned foods using simulant migration data

A two-dimensional probabilistic model was constructed to estimate the short-term dietary exposure of UK consumers to any generalized migrant from coated light metal food packaging. Using three UK National Dietary and Nutrition Surveys (NDNS) comprising 4-7-day dietary surveys for different age and gender groups, actual body weights and survey years, a sample representative of the dietary consumption of the UK population was obtained comprising around 4,200 food items. Interrogation of the raw data showed that the per capita consumption of food and beverage for an adult was 2.9 kg per person day(-1), which is comparable with the US FDA value of 3.0 kg. The packaging type of each food item was assigned from the survey descriptions or by sampling from distributions based upon market share information and expert judgement. Each food item was assigned to the relevant food simulant: A (aqueous), B (acidic) or D (fatty), so that simulant migration data could be used. The exposure model was used to evaluate exposure for a given level of migration and, conversely, the level of migration that could be tolerated whilst keeping within a target threshold exposure level. As examples, migration at 10 microg dm(-2) into fatty foods only resulted in an exposure ranging from 0.06 to 0.22 microg kg(-1) body (actual) weight day(-1) depending on the scenario. The model revealed that if migration from metal coatings was only into fatty foods, migration in the range 1.83-4.95 microg dm(2) (97.5th percentile, depending on the scenario) would give an exposure of less than 1.5 microg per person day(-1). This is a toxicological threshold limit used in the USA. If migration into simulants A and B is also considered to be at the same level as that for simulant D, then the level of migration for the threshold to be reached is, not surprisingly, lower (0.64-0.87 microg dm(-2)) than that if migration were only into fatty foods. In this case, clearly the main contributors to the exposure were foodstuffs represented by simulants A and B because of their importance in the diet. These estimates are based on 4- or 7-day food diaries and chronic exposure over the long-term would be expected to be lower.