Migration of di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate and acetyltributyl citrate plasticizers from food-grade PVC film into sweetened sesame paste (halawa tehineh): Kinetic and penetration study

Food-grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cling-film containing 5.3% (w/w) di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and 3.0% (w/w) acetyltributyl citrate (ATBC) plasticizers was used to wrap halawa tehineh (halva) samples. Samples were split into two groups and stored at 25 ± 1 °C. One group was analyzed for DEHA and ATBC content at intervals between 0.5 and 240 h of contact (kinetic study) and a second group was cut into slices (1.5 mm thick) after 240 h of halva/PVC contact and was analyzed for DEHA and ATBC content (penetration study). Determination of both plasticizers was performed using a direct gas chromatographic (GC) method after extraction of DEHA from halva samples. DEHA readily migrated into halva samples: the equilibrium amount of DEHA in halva (3.31 mg/dm2 film or 81.4 mg/kg halva) corresponding to a loss of 54.7% (w/w) DEHA from PVC film. This value is slightly higher than the limit of 3 mg/dm2 of film surface set by the European Union for DEHA. The equilibrium amount of ATBC in halva was 1.46 mg/dm2 (36.1 mg/kg) corresponding to a loss of 42.7% ATBC from PVC film. With regard to the penetration of both placticizers into halva samples, migration of DEHA was detectable up to the 7th slice beneath the surface of halva (total depth 10.5 mm) while the migration of ATBC was detectable up to the 5th slice (total depth 7.5 mm).