The hidden diet: Synthetic antioxidants in packaged food and their impact on human exposure and health

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 186; p. 108613
• Main Authors: Ji, Xiaomeng, Liu, Jiale, Liang, Jiefeng, Feng, Xiaoxia, Liu, Xiaoyun, Wang, Yingjun, Chen, Xiangfeng, Qu, Guangbo, Yan, Bing, Liu, Runzeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Food packaging materials; Foodstuffs; Human exposure assessment; Synthetic antioxidants; Transformation products; Transformation products; Food packaging materials; Human exposure assessment; Foodstuffs; Synthetic antioxidants
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108613

[Display omitted] •Synthetic antioxidants (AOs) were detected in all outer, inner food packages and packaged foodstuffs.•AOs in packaged foods exceeded the levels both in outer and inner packaging materials.•Four AOs analogs were identified in packaged food for the first time.•Dietary intake of BHT accounted for more than half of total BHT intake for children and adults.•Potential human health risks posed by AOs in food packages and packaged foodstuffs may be low. Synthetic antioxidants (AOs) are commonly used in everyday items and industrial products to inhibit oxidative deterioration. However, the presence of AOs in food packaging and packaged foods has not been thoroughly documented. Moreover, studies on human exposure to AOs through skin contact with packaging or ingesting packaged foods are limited. In this study, we analyzed twenty-three AOs—including synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) and organophosphite antioxidants (OPAs)—along with six transformation products in various food samples and their packaging materials. We found AOs in food products at concentrations ranging from 1.30 × 103 to 1.77 × 105 ng/g, which exceeded the levels in both outer packaging (6.05 × 102–3.07 × 104 ng/g) and inner packaging (2.27 × 102–1.09 × 105 ng/g). The most common AOs detected in foodstuffs were tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (AO168O), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and octadecyl-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate (AO1076), together constituting 95.7 % of the total AOs found. Our preliminary exposure assessment revealed that dietary exposure—estimated at a median of 2.55 × 104 ng/kg body weight/day for children and 1.24 × 104 ng/kg body weight/day for adults—is a more significant exposure route than dermal contact with packaging. Notably, four AOs were identified in food for the first time, with BHT making up 76.8 % and 67.6 % of the total BHT intake for children and adults, respectively. These findings suggest that food consumption is a significant source of BHT exposure. The estimated daily intakes of AOs via consumption of foodstuffs were compared with the recommended acceptable daily intake to assess the risks. This systematic investigation into AOs contributes to understanding potential exposure and health risks associated with AOs in packaged foods. It emphasizes the need for further evaluation of human exposure to these substances.