Phthalic acid esters in the packaging of certain foods

Phthalic acid esters are used as plasticizers for plastics. These plastics can also be used as food packaging. Our aim was determined the concentrations of phthalic acid esters in food packagings purchased in the Czech Republic. Two phthalic acid esters, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were detected on high-performance liquid chromatography. Foods from which the packages were analyzed were: potato croquettes, pommes frites, fish fillets in oil, two types of cheese, coffee cream, sunflower bread, puffed rice bread, spreadable vegetable fat, hazelnut spread, goulash soup, salt crackers, dried meat, olives, lentils with smoked meat, salted wafers, half dipped biscuits, beef broth, frozen puff pastry. The highest average DBP concentration was found in food packaging: soft transparent plastic without print (from puffed rice bread), type of material polypropylene, 335.03 mu g/g of plastic. The lowest average DBP concentration was found in food packaging: lower hard plastic (from fish fillets), type of material unspecified, 0.72 mu g/g of plastic. And the highest average concentration of DEHP was found in food packaging, outer plastic packaging with print (from lentils with smoked meat), type of material other plastic, 157.73 mu g/g of plastic. And the lowest concentration of DEHP was found in the food packaging: white hard plastic bowl without print (from lentils with smoked meat), type of material polypropylene, 2.08 mu g/g of plastic. In some cases, high concentrations of phthalic acid esters have been found, therefore we recommend replacing phthalic acid esters with a less toxic alternative.