Food contamination from packaging material with special focus on the Bisphenol-A.

Abstract

Additives, such as bisphenol A (BPA) that are added to packaging material to enhance functionality may migrate into food products creating a concern for food safety. BPA has been linked to various chronic diseases, such as: diabetes, obesity, prostate cancer, impaired thyroid function, and several other metabolic disorders. To safeguard consumers, BPA migration limits have been defined by regulatory bodies. However, it is important to address the underlying factors and mechanisms so that they can be optimized in order to minimize BPA migration. In this review, we determine the relative importance of the factors, i.e. temperature, contact time, pH, food composition, storage time and temperature, package type, cleaning, and aging, and packaging damage that promote BPA migration in foods. Packaging material seems to be the key source of BPA and the temperature (applied during food production, storage, can sterilization and cleaning processes) was the critical driver influencing BPA migration.