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Migration of Antimony and Phthalate Esters from Plastic Food Packaging: A Systematic Review of Reported Levels, Food Matrix Effects and Influencing Factors
Summary
This systematic review of 45 studies found that antimony and phthalate esters migrate from plastic food packaging into foods at levels that can exceed regulatory limits under stress conditions such as high temperatures, prolonged storage, and contact with acidic or fatty food matrices, highlighting the need for updated harmonized safety standards.
Plastic food packaging represents a major source of chemical exposure, as materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can release toxic elements including antimony (Sb) and phthalate esters (PAEs) into foods, raising growing concerns for public health and regulatory compliance. This review followed the PRISMA 2020 protocol and systematically screened 1,317 records from ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus, retaining 45 original studies published between 2010 and 2025 that quantitatively assessed Sb or PAE migration from plastic food packaging. Among these, 32 articles (71.11%) investigated phthalate migration, 12 studies (26.67%) focused on antimony, and only one (2.22%) addressed both. Antimony migration, mainly from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, was reported across 13 studies, with concentrations in bottled water generally below 5 µg/L under ambient storage, but reaching up to 18.5 µg/L in stress conditions such as high temperatures or acidic simulants. In soy sauce, total Sb levels were reported up to 6.6 µg/L, while fruit juices and carbonated drinks showed higher migration than plain water. For phthalates, analysis of 32 studies revealed consistently higher levels in lipid-rich or acidic matrices. In bottled waters, DBP, DEP, and DEHP ranged from non-detectable to 25 µg/L, with cumulative increases during storage up to 1283 days. Edible oils showed much higher concentrations, reaching mg/L levels of DBP, BBP, and DEHP, while convenience foods such as cakes contained DEHP up to 5.2 mg/kg. Milk products also revealed significant accumulation of DEP, DBP, and DEHP under refrigeration and ambient storage. Factors most strongly associated with increased migration included elevated temperatures (40-70 °C), prolonged storage (months to >1 year), and matrix composition (acidic or fatty foods). Despite regulatory limits of 5 µg/L for Sb and 1.5 mg/kg for DEHP, several studies reported exceedances under stress conditions. This synthesis provides a critical basis for risk assessment and calls for harmonized migration testing and regulatory updates covering non-aqueous foods and combined exposures to Sb and PAEs.