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Migration of BHT through airspace in food package systems
Author(s) -
Terada Katsuhiko,
Naito Yasutoshi
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
packaging technology and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1099-1522
pISSN - 0894-3214
DOI - 10.1002/pts.2770020308
Subject(s) - ingredient , food science , food packaging , sugar , plastic packaging , chemistry , casein , antioxidant , food additive , high density polyethylene , polyethylene , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material
In the system composed of a plastic package and a solid food, which are only partially in contact with each other, the migration of the plastic ingredient to the food may take place through the airspace between the package and the food unless the ingredient is non‐volatile. This paper describes the migration of an antioxidant BHT(2,6‐di‐ tert ‐butyl‐4‐methylphenol) from low‐density polyethylene films containing BHT, or from pure BHT crystals used as a source of BHT vapour, to model foods such as casein and granulated sugar. The results obtained: i confirmed that the migration of BHT occurs from the film to the food even when they are separated completely by an airspace between them ii showed that the amount of migration increases with time and attains a practically constant value after a certain period, but the value and the time vary significantly with the food iii found that the BHT concentration in the film remains virtually unchanged at all times in the experiments carried out in this study, because the amount of BHT migration is very small compared with the total amount of BHT contained in the film initially iv elucidated the relation between the BHT concentration in the film and the equilibrium amount of BHT migration to the food. This result should be useful for the estimation of the amount of BHT migrating from a polyethylene package to a contained food.