Phthalates in meat products in dependence on the fat content

The content of dibutylphthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in samples of packages intended for thermally processed meat products and release of phthalates from packages into meat products in dependence on the fat content were observed. 80 samples of packages were analyzed, 5 of them wereselected due to exceeding the specific migration limit. The raw meat was prepared, one type with the fat content of 10% and second one with the fat content of 50%. The both types of raw meat were analyzed for the content of DBP and DEHP and packed into chosen packages.The samples of meat products were thermally processed (70 ℃, 10 min in the core), stored until the expiration date at 4 °C and gradually analyzed after 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day of storage. Determination of phthalates was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the Zorbax Eclipse C8column and by UV detection at a wavelength of 224 mm. The phthalate content in the raw meat was under the limit of detection. According to the EU Commission Regulation no. 10/2011 the specific migration limit of products intended for the contact with food for DEHP (max. 1.5 mg.kg-1of food stimulant and DBP max. 0.3 mg.kg-1 of food stimulant), wasexceeded already after first day of storage, in case of DBP in two samples with 10% of fat and after 7th day of storage in one sample. In the samples with 50% of fat, SML was exceeded after first day of storage in four samples and in one sample after 14th day of storage. Regarding DEHP in the samples with 10% of fat SML was exceeded after 1st day of storage in one sample and after 7th day of storage also in one sample and after 21st day of storage similarly in one sample. Four samples with 50% of fat had SML exceeded in case of DEHP already after 1st day of storage. By comparison of PAE migration depending on the fat content we concluded that leaching of PAE from a package into food was 2 - 21 times higher in samples with 50% of fat than in samples with 10% of fat.