Non-target Screening of Contaminants in Paper-paperboard for Food Contact Materials

Paper and paperboard for food contact materials pose a problematic group of packaging, because the safety of these articles is not covered by any specific EU legislation and there is lack of information on its contamination by residues of chemical substances. The non-targeted screening of contaminants was applied to 80 samples of this materials which are used in Czech Republic. The 83 compounds were identified by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). The most common contaminants found in paper and paperboard included alkylbenzenes, photoinitiators, phthalates, isopropylnaphthalenes, anthraquinone and bisphenol A, etc. The possible risks for a consumer of food packaged in tested packaging materials as well as the possible criteria for a distinction between paper with and without of recycled pulp will be discussed.