Migration testing: Ensuring product safety through packaging tests
What is migration testing? Migration testing is a prescribed analytical procedure for evaluating packaging materials with regard to the possible transfer of substances to food.
As some packaging materials are in direct contact with food, there is a possibility that chemical compounds may migrate into the food. To ensure compliance with legal requirements and guarantee maximum consumer safety, comprehensive testing of this migration is essential. It helps to identify potential risks at an early stage and ensure the quality and safety of packaging materials.
Why is the migration test important?
Consumer protection:
Migration testing plays a crucial role in protecting consumers as it ensures that no harmful substances are transferred from packaging materials into food. Chemical substances contained in packaging can be released under certain conditions and therefore pose potential health risks. Testing ensures that the migration of such substances remains within safe limits.
Compliance with legal requirements:
In the European Union, the migration of substances from food contact materials is subject to strict legal requirements. Various EU regulations, such as Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 and Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 for plastics, set specific limits for migrating substances. Regular monitoring of migration ensures that companies comply with these legal requirements and avoid legal consequences.
Quality control of packaging materials:
Migration testing also serves as an important part of the quality control of packaging materials. It helps companies to ensure that the materials used meet the highest standards and that there are no undesirable interactions with the packaged product. This ensures product safety and minimizes the risk of affecting the taste, smell or shelf life of the food.
Avoidance of complaints and product recalls:
Inadequate control of migration can lead to harmful or undesirable substances getting into food, which can result in complaints or even product recalls. Such incidents can not only result in high costs, but also cause lasting damage to consumer confidence in the brand. Thorough migration testing can minimize such risks, allowing companies to protect themselves from economic damage and loss of reputation.
Our services in the area of migration testing
Migration testing is divided into various methods for determining migration, which are used depending on the objective, type of packaging material and legal requirements. These methods enable a detailed analysis of the extent to which and under what conditions substances can migrate from packaging materials into food.
Total migration
Total migration describes the determination of the total amount of substances that can migrate from packaging materials into food. Special food simulants such as 3 % acetic acid, 10 % ethanol or other standardized solutions are used to carry out a realistic assessment. These simulants make it possible to consider different types of food - from aqueous and acidic to fatty products.
The tests are carried out under defined conditions that reflect the actual use of the packaging. Factors such as filling processes, storage duration and temperature conditions are simulated to ensure that migration remains within the legally defined limits and that no undesirable substances are transferred to the food.
Specific migration
Specific migration refers to the targeted analysis of individual substances that can migrate from packaging materials, coatings or printing inks into food. These include monomers, UV stabilizers and photoinitiators that are used during the production or printing of packaging.
Highly sensitive analytical methods such as gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are used to precisely detect these substances. These methods enable reliable identification and quantification of migrating substances so that legal limits can be adhered to and potential health risks can be excluded.
Migration at elevated temperatures (MPPO method)
The MPPO method (Modified Polyphenylene Oxide) is used to simulate the long-term storage of food at room temperature and enables the evaluation of migration under realistic but accelerated conditions. The extent to which substances from packaging materials can migrate into the food over a longer period of time is tested.
This method is particularly relevant for dry food packaging, as conventional liquid simulants would not be suitable here. By using MPPO as an adsorbent, migratory substances can be reliably detected and analyzed to ensure compliance with legal limits and guarantee the long-term safety of packaging materials.
Migration check for various application areas
Migration testing for packaged foods
One example of migration testing is the analysis of plasticizer migration from plastic packaging into fatty foods such as cheese or sausage, which are particularly susceptible to the absorption of such substances due to their high fat content.
In addition, the determination of residual solvents or undesirable additives is carried out to ensure that no harmful substances migrate into the food. This includes, for example, the analysis of residual solvents in printed packaging for muesli bars or cookies to ensure compliance with legal limits and consumer safety.
Migration testing for animal feed
The testing of pet food packaging includes analyzing the migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) from recycled paper bags for pet food. This analysis is crucial to ensure that no harmful substances that could endanger animal health are transferred into the feed.
In addition, the migration of heavy metals from metal containers for wet food and plastic compounds from bags for dry food are also analyzed. These tests ensure that only safe materials come into contact with the feed and that no harmful substances are transferred to the animals.
Migration testing for cosmetics
The analysis of packaging materials in cosmetic products is crucial to ensure that no harmful substances migrate into the formulations. One example of this is testing the migration of preservatives from plastic jars for creams or lotions to ensure the safety of the products.
In addition, potentially skin-damaging or toxic substances are examined, such as the release of parabens or phthalates from shampoo bottles and lipstick tubes. These tests are of great importance in order to avoid skin irritation or hormonal effects and to protect the safety of consumers.
Migration testing for pharmaceuticals
Ensuring the safety of pharmaceutical packaging is of the utmost importance to guarantee patient safety. This includes testing the migration of plastic softeners from blister packs for tablets to prevent harmful substances from leaking into the medication.
In addition, the interaction between packaging materials and pharmaceutical products is investigated. For example, tests are carried out to determine whether glass packaging for injection solutions releases unwanted metal ions or whether plastic containers for liquid medicines
Analytical methods for migration testing
Modern and highly developed analytical methods are used to precisely investigate migrations from packaging materials into various products. These methods enable the detailed identification and quantification of substances that can migrate from the materials into the product under certain conditions.
GC-MS/MS (gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry):
This method combines the separation of substances using gas chromatography with high-precision identification using mass spectrometry. It is particularly suitable for analyzing volatile and semi-volatile compounds, such as solvent residues or volatile organic substances that can migrate from packaging.
LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry):
LC-MS/MS technology provides a highly sensitive method for separating and analyzing non-volatile substances present in solution. This technique is often used to analyze complex migrations originating from e.g. plastics, coatings or printing inks and enables the accurate determination of the migration of additives or other chemicals.
LC-TOF (liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry):
The LC-TOF technique uses liquid chromatography to separate substances, followed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry to precisely analyze the molecular weights and structures of the migrated compounds. This method allows a detailed investigation of unknown or unexplored substances that may occur during migration.
ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry):
ICP-MS technology is an advanced method for analyzing metals and trace elements. It is used in particular to determine the migration of metallic substances, such as heavy metals, from packaging materials into food or other products. This method ensures extremely high sensitivity to detect even the smallest amounts of metal ions and to check compliance with legal limits.
Legal framework
Migration testing is based on legal regulations to ensure the safety of packaging. Relevant regulations are:
- (EC) No. 1935/2004 - general framework for food contact materials
- Plastics Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 - specific requirements for plastics
- Recycling Regulation (EU) No. 282/2008 - provisions for recycled materials
- Regulation (EU) No. 450/2009 - requirements for active packaging
Sample logistics
Sampling plays a crucial role in performing migration testing to ensure that the results are reliable and meaningful. This process involves several steps that must be carried out precisely and carefully in order to maintain the integrity of the samples and enable accurate analysis.
Samples are taken in accordance with defined specifications that determine both the number and type of samples to be taken. We will be happy to provide you with comprehensive advice or take care of the entire sample logistics for you.