Chlorinated paraffins in baby food from the German market

Infant formula and baby cereal are products specifically intended for a vulnerable consumer group and should therefore be strictly controlled. In this study, we analysed 21 infant formula and 10 instant baby cereal samples for the presence of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) and estimated dietary exposure to these compounds. Results covered short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs, globally restricted as persistent organic pollutants in 2017) and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs, currently used in high quantities). Of the 21 infant formula and 10 instant baby cereal samples, 45% of SCCP results and 94% of MCCP results were below the limit of quantification. Most positive detections were in the range of 25-100 ng/g lipids CPs, and only three samples contained SCCPs at >100 ng/g lipids. The SCCP homologue patterns were shifted to shorter chain lengths (C-10 usually predominant) which indicated that CPs were partly removed compared to the normal pattern in food items. Calculated daily exposures for infant formula for 3-month-olds ranged from 97 to 360 ng/kg bw/day for SCCPs using the upper bound approach. The SCCP exposure was lower than data from European pooled human milk samples by a factor of two.