Rapid multi-analyte quantification of benzophenone, 4-methylbenzophenone and related derivatives from paperboard food packaging

Photo-initiators are used in printing inks hardened with UV light and one of the most commonly used photo-initiators is benzophenone (BP). Recent notifications under the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed have shown migration of 4-methylbenzophenone (4-MBP) from packaging into cereals. A specific migration limit exists for BP of 0.6 mg kg-1 for its use as an additive in plastics. There is no specific European legislation covering cardboard boxes and/or printing inks for food contact use. However, due to the high levels detected, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published recommendations and the Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health endorsed a limit of 0.6 mg kg-1 for the sum of BP and 4-MBP. While studies have been published on photo-initiators in the past, there is a fundamental lack of data on 4-MBP especially for its combined analysis with others. We present an HPLC method with diode array detector to simultaneously determine the levels of BP, 4-MBP as well as 7 other possible derivatives from secondary packaging for food applications. The method was tested and applied to 46 samples of paperboard for secondary packaging collected both from supermarkets and directly from a paperboard supplier. In addition, a survey was conducted on recycled paperboard (n = 19) collected from a supplier, to evaluate the background quantity of BP and other derivatives in recycled board. The most abundant photo-initiator found in the survey was BP, in 61% of samples, and 4-MBP was found in 30% of the samples. It seems that these compounds are used to replace one another. Other derivatives were found in minor quantities. Traces of BP were also found in 42% of the samples of recycled, unprinted board.