Chemical safety and risk assessment of bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers for food contact: A review

Abstract

Bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers are being developed and applied as a sustainable and innovative alternative to conventional petroleum-based materials for food packaging applications. From the chemical standpoint, bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers present a complex chemical composition that includes additives, monomers, and other starting substances, but also, oligomers, impurities, degradation products, etc. All these compounds may migrate into the food and can be a hazard to the consumers’ health. Thus, identifying potential migrants is crucial to assess the safety of these materials. The analytical methods applied to investigate migrants in bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers are reviewed and commented on. Mostly, gas chromatography or liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and specifically high-resolution mass spectrometry are the techniques of choice. In addition, a summary of recently published migration studies of chemicals from bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers into food simulants and food is provided. Moreover, current approaches to risk assessment of packaging materials are presented and illustrated with examples. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the chemical safety issues raised by biopolymers for food contact applications, that are often overlooked.