Non Intentionally Added Substance Screening in Radiation Cured Overprint Formulations
Untargeted mass spectrometry screening isolates photoinitiator degradation products and unreacted acrylates in food packaging overprint coatings at 10 ppb.
GC-QTOF
Analytical Technique
High resolution mass spectrometry combined with gas chromatography separates and identifies complex organic compounds within chemical extracts from packaging materials. Coupling gas chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, commonly designated as GC-QTOF, enables accurate mass measurement for unknown chemical species in paperboard substrates. This testing platform isolates residual solvents, functional coating additives, and print ink components.
Substance Identification
Non-target screening utilizing GC-QTOF identifies non-intentionally added substances that migrate from recycled paperboard food packaging into dry foods. Chromatographic separation resolves volatile mixtures while time-of-flight mass analysis determines exact monoisotopic mass values for target fragments. Software algorithms compare measured mass spectra against reference spectral libraries to confirm chemical formulas.
Accurate mass resolution enables differentiation between structural isomers that share identical nominal molecular weights. Packaging testing laboratories employ this analytical tool during food contact material compliance screening to verify chemical migration limits. Synthetic polymer additives and mineral oil hydrocarbons are routinely mapped using these exact mass determinations.
Detection Limit
Chemical extraction protocols limit instrument evaluation to volatile and semi-volatile compounds capable of gas phase vaporisation without thermal decomposition. High molecular weight polymers and inorganic mineral fillers require alternative analytical techniques such as liquid chromatography or elemental spectrometry. Quantitative accuracy requires calibrated internal standards to compensate for matrix suppression effects during ionization.
Mass spectrometry screening provides structural identification without replacing toxicological risk assessment procedures.