Migration of alkylbenzenes from packaging into food and Tenax®

Alkylbenzenes (alkyl chain C-10-C-13) are used as solvent components in certain offset printing inks. Alkylbenzenes were identified from 10 out of 15 samples of offset-printed food packaging made of board. Printed hamburger collars intended for hamburger restaurants had exceptionally high contents of alkylbenzenes (70-500 mg/kg). Most of the collars had varnish on both the printed surface and the non-printed food contact surface. Migration of alkylbenzenes from the hamburger collar into a roll was 2 mg/kg. In another rest, in which Tenax((R)) was used as simulant, the effect of a varnish layer on the food contact surface was studied It was found that the varnish layer reduced migration by about 70%. Tests with Tenax((R)) as a food simulant resulted in higher migration than in tests with rolls. The European Commission has published a risk assessment report on alkylbenzenes. The report concludes that there is no need for further testing or for risk reduction measures beyond those which ave currently applied. However, consumer exposure was calculated without taking into account the possibility of oral exposure to alkylbenzenes migrating from food packagings. The migration of alkylbenzenes thus merits further study. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.