Determination of phthalates in olive oil from European market

Phthalates are ubiquitous contaminants in the environment and consumer products. They are used as plasticizers in many plastics used for packaging and articles for food processing, handling and storage. Some phthalates and their metabolites are known to be toxic to reproduction and endocrine disruptors, and consumer exposure has been a concern. Olive oil is of great nutritional and economic importance and its contribution to overall dietary exposure to phthalates may be relevant. This work aimed at analysing phthalates occurrence in olive oil samples collected in the European market. An alternative method for sample introduction into the chromatographic system was compared to the traditional liquid extraction followed by concentration prior analyses. The ChromatoProbe method presented similar performance regarding the limits of detection and quantification but, contrary to other matrixes like wine, does not eliminate the need for prior liquid extraction. The main advantage relies on not requiring the concentration step and on decreasing the system stoppages for maintenance. Regarding the olive oil samples collected, DEHP and DINP were detected in all samples with an average concentration of 1.31 and 1.52 mgkg(-1) and with a highest concentration of 7.52 and 6.29 mgkg(-1), respectively. Results show 4/16 samples with DEHP concentration higher than the migration limits applicable under food contact materials regulation. One of the samples is pomace oil and therefore the source of contamination may well be the solvent used in the extraction process. But the other 3 samples are extra-virgin and virgin olive oils. So it is still important to develop efforts in tracing back the source of contamination.