Measuring transport and partitioning processes of model migrants into and within foodstuffs

Scientific investigations concerning the migration potential and behaviour of food packaging materials have demonstrated that diffusion in and migration from food contact materials are foreseeable physical and, in principle, mathematically describable processes. Besides the contribution of the plastic packaging material itself, the expected key parameters controlling the extend of migration into foods are the diffusion processes and partitioning effects into and within the foods. Therefore one core activitiy within work package 3c of the FOODMIGROSURE project (EU Contract No. QLK1-CT2002-2390) is related to establishing these physical-chemical parameters needed for the intended migration model. Results from this test cell design obtained from different model migrants and foodstuffs are presented. Further tests will be run with other foods and under different time and temperature conditions.