Effect of microwave versus conventional heating on the migration of dioctyl adipate and acetyltributyl citrate plasticizers from food grade PVC and P(VDC/VC) films into fatty foodstuffs

The effect of microwave heating versus conventional heating on the migration of dioctyl adipate (DOA) and acetyltributyl citrate (ATBC) plasticizers from plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride) (P[VDC/VC]) films into pizza and frankfurter-type sausages has been studied. Microwave heating was carried out with and without a susceptor. The plasticizer migrating into the food was determined using an indirect gas chromatographic method after saponification of the ester-type plasticizer (DOA or ATBC) and subsequent collection of the alcoholic component of the ester, namely 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and 1-butanol, respectively. The extent of migration of both plasticizers into pizza and sausage followed the sequence: heating in conventional oven > microwave heating with a susceptor > microwave heating without a susceptor. The amounts of DOA that migrated into pizza and sausage were 105.12 mg/kg and 85.01 mg/kg during conventional heating, 75.52 mg/kg and 47.69 mg/kg during microwave heating with a susceptor and 51.42 mg/kg and 37.98 mg/kg during microwave heating without a susceptor, respectively. The amounts of ATBC that migrated into pizza and sausage were 31.18 mg/kg and 25.37 mg/kg during conventional heating, 7.73 mg/kg and 7.02 mg/kg during microwave heating with a susceptor and 6.25 mg/kg and 5.17 mg/kg during microwave heating without a susceptor.