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A Systematic Review: Migration of Chemical Compounds from Plastic Material Containers in Food and Pharmaceutical Fields
Summary
This systematic review examines how chemical compounds migrate from plastic containers into food and pharmaceutical products. The findings highlight that chemicals like phthalates, bisphenol A, and other additives can leach into what we eat and drink, especially under heat or extended storage, raising concerns about long-term health effects from daily exposure to food packaging.
A systematic review was conducted on the migration of compounds from plastic containers in the food and pharmaceutical industries, using Web of Science databases and following PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). The protocol has been registered with the OSF registry, with the DOI 10.17605/OSF.10/UQ3T2. This review included only review articles in English published within the last fifteen years. Four reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, discussing inclusion criteria. In this comprehensive evaluation of the information present in an Excel spreadsheet, a substantial number of records were discarded because they were not representative of the topic under study. Following the review process, a total of twenty-eight key records were selected, primarily focusing on migration in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Of these, twenty-four addressed only food, just two addressed only pharmaceutical sector, and two covered both fields, highlighting limited information on migration in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and related products. The analysis emphasized the types of compounds studied, the analytical methods employed, the migration tests conducted, and the toxicity assessments undertaken. The most frequently assessed compounds included phthalates, endocrine disruptors like bisphenol A, and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). Analytical methods used typically involved pre-treatment steps, such as liquid-liquid or solid-phase extraction, followed by gas or liquid chromatography, depending on compound volatility.
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