Standard Identifier
Standardized testing protocols dictate the specific laboratory procedures used to evaluate chemical transfer from paper and board into dry fatty food stimulants. Compliance under din en 14338 requires controlled exposure of paperboard samples to a porous synthetic adsorbent over defined time intervals. The scope governs paper materials intended for contact with dry non-fatty and dry fatty foods, while wet food contact applications fall under separate European standards.
Extraction Protocol
Testing involves placing sample discs against a bed of poly(2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide) inside a sealed glass chamber kept at specified temperatures such as forty degrees Celsius for ten days or higher thermal profiles for short term contacts. Volatile and semi-volatile substances migrate from the paper matrix into the solid adsorbent through gas phase diffusion. After exposure, solvent extraction releases absorbed substances from the polymer matrix for quantification using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
Careful control of contact pressure ensures uniform thermal conductivity across the interface without crushing the porous structure of the test substrate. Temperature deviations during the incubation period invalidate test metrics by altering migration kinetics across the interface.
Migration Boundary
Analytical detection limits determine the minimum quantifiable migration mass per square decimetre of food contact area. Substrates containing recycled fibres release higher concentrations of mineral oil hydrocarbons than virgin fibre boards. Testing ceases to apply when total migrant yields exceed the maximum specific migration limits set by food safety regulations.
