ABSTRACT
Cod and herring fillets were wrapped in plasticized polyvinylidene chloride/polyvinyl chloride (PVDC/PVC) film (“saran” wrap) containing acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) as plasticizer. The ratio of film surface to weight of food was ca. 4 dm2 to 45 g fish (89:1). Wrapped samples of fish were subjected to high energy electron beam irradiation at doses equal to 5 and 10 kGy. Samples were subsequently stored at 4oC and analyzed for ATBC content at time intervals between 12 and 240 hr of contact (kinetic study). The determination of ATBC was performed by applying a simple, rapid and convenient extraction method followed by analysis on a GC apparatus coupled with a FI detector. The equilibrium migration concentrations of ATBC plasticizer in cod fillets ranged from 11.1 to 12.8 mg/kg, while the corresponding values for herring samples were between 32.4 and 33.4 mg/kg. Migration data showed that irradiation with high energy electrons at pasteurizing doses did not considerably affect the film’s specific migration characteristics. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were only observed between non-irradiated and irradiated at 10 kGy cod fillet samples. On the contrary, statistically significant differences in plasticizer migration were found between the two fish species examined. Thus, fat content of the packaged fish fillets substantially affected the extent to which migration of ATBC occurred. Plasticizer concentrations in both marine species exceeded the 5 mg/kg restriction (EU Synoptic Document, 2005). Non-compliance of the saran film used with EU specifications is due to the particular experimental design of the present study. However, household food overwrapping or rewrapping is often carried out under similar as above conditions.
