Acta Vet. Brno 2014, 83: 59-64
Detection of phthalic acid esters in the packaging films of meat products
The contents of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were monitored in materials used for packaging films of meat products. A printed sample and a non-printed sample were taken from each of the packaging films analysed, the sample area being 1 dm2, to determine whether or not there is increased presence of phthalates in printed packaging films compared to non-printed packaging films, and to assess possible risks arising from their use. The determination of DBP and DEHP was conducted using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with the Zorbax Eclipse C8 column and UV detection at a wavelength of 224 nm. Concentrations of phthalates ranged from 2.18 to 81.33 µg∙dm-2 in printed samples and from 2.25 to 69.88 µg∙dm-2 in those without printing. This study shows different contents of phthalates in printed and non-printed areas of packaging films. The printed area had in most cases a higher content of phthalates probably due to the content of the substances in the printing colours.
Funding
This study was supported by the Internal Grant Agency, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, project IP 10/2014.
