Migration of residual monomers from plastics into food

Plastic materials are widely used for food packaging. The polymeric structure of plastics is formed through chemical reaction of monomers and other starting substances. Unreacted monomers have the potential to be transferred into food via migration from the plastic food contact material. Therefore, monomers used in the manufacture of plastic materials and articles intended for food contact applications must be risk assessed and authorized and, consequently, are subject to specific food regulatory requirements. This article addresses monomers as potential migrants from plastic food contact materials and reviews general, regulatory and analytical aspects of monomer migration.