黄原胶对壳聚糖精油复合膜的性能及精油释放的影响

为探究黄原胶对壳聚糖精油复合膜性能和精油释放的影响,本文利用流延法制备了不同配比的黄原胶-壳聚糖-精油复合膜,并测定膜的物理性能、精油释放和微观结构等指标。结果表明:当黄原胶的添加量在低于50%的范围内,膜的水溶性随黄原胶添加量的增加逐渐升高,含水量、膨胀程度以及断裂伸长率逐渐下降,然而黄原胶的添加量对膜的抗拉强度无显著性影响。添加黄原胶明显增加了精油在食品模拟物中的释放速率,从不同食品模拟物的释放速率来看,由快到慢依次为水包油乳状液和含酒精食品的模拟物、蒸馏水、脂肪食品模拟物;微观结构显示黄原胶影响了膜的内部结构,使膜的横截面出现较大的颗粒,形成不连续的结构特征,该研究为开发应用精油控释型薄膜提供了理论依据。     

Mobility of alpha-tocopherol and BHT in LDPE in contact with fatty food simulants.

The migration/sorption behaviour of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and alpha-tocopherol was studied in packaging material in contact with fatty food simulants. Two low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films, containing either BHT or alpha-tocopherol as antioxidants, were stored in contact with sunflower oil or 95% (v/v) ethanol. The antioxidant content was monitored in the films throughout a period of 7 weeks. The migration of alpha-tocopherol into the food simulants was slower than that of BHT. Since alpha-tocopherol was transferred from the film to the simulant to a lesser extent, it is considered to be a more stable antioxidant than BHT when used in an LDPE film in contact with 95% ethanol or sunflower oil.     

Functional Properties of Plasticized Bio-Based Poly(Lactic Acid)_Poly(Hydroxybutyrate) (PLA_PHB) Films for Active Food Packaging

Fully bio-based and biodegradable active films based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and incorporating lactic acid oligomers (OLA) as plasticizers and carvacrol as active agent were extruded and fully characterized in their functional properties for antimicrobial active packaging. PLA_PHB films showed good barrier to water vapor, while the resistance to oxygen diffusion decreased with the addition of OLA and carvacrol. Their overall migration in aqueous food simulant was determined and no significant changes were observed by the addition of carvacrol and OLA to the PLA_PHB formulations. However, the effect of both additives in fatty food simulant can be considered a positive feature for the potential protection of foodstuff with high fat content. Moreover, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the proposed formulations increased by the presence of carvacrol, with enhanced activity against Staphylococcus aureus if compared to Escherichia coli at short and long incubation times. These results underlined the specific antimicrobial properties of these bio-films suggesting their applicability in active food packaging.     

Antioxidant migration resistance of SiOx layer in SiOx/PLA coated film

As novel materials for food contact packaging, inorganic silicon oxide (SiO_x) films are high barrier property materials that have been developed rapidly and have attracted the attention of many manufacturers. For the safe use of SiO_x films for food packaging it is vital to study the interaction between SiO_x layers and food contaminants, as well as the function of a SiO_x barrier layer in antioxidant migration resistance. In this study, we deposited a SiO_x layer on polylactic acid (PLA)-based films to prepare SiO_x/PLA coated films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Additionally, we compared PLA-based films and SiO_x/PLA coated films in terms of the migration of different antioxidants (e.g. t-butylhydroquinone [TBHQ], butylated hydroxyanisole [BHA], and butylated hydroxytoluene [BHT]) via specific migration experiments and then investigated the effects of a SiO_x layer on antioxidant migration under different conditions. The results indicate that antioxidant migration from SiO_x/PLA coated films is similar to that for PLA-based films: with increase of temperature, decrease of food simulant polarity, and increase of single-sided contact time, the antioxidant migration rate and amount in SiO_x/PLA coated films increase. The SiO_x barrier layer significantly reduced the amount of migration of antioxidants with small and similar molecular weights and similar physical and chemical properties, while the degree of migration blocking was not significantly different among the studied antioxidants. However, the migration was affected by temperature and food simulant. Depending on the food simulants considered, the migration amount in SiO_x/PLA coated films was reduced compared with that in PLA-based films by 42–46%, 44–47%, and 44–46% for TBHQ, BHA, and BHT, respectively.     

Volatile and non-volatile radiolysis products in irradiated multilayer coextruded food-packaging films containing a buried layer of recycled low-density polyethylene.

The effects of gamma-irradiation (5-60 kGy) on radiolysis products and sensory changes of experimental five-layer food-packaging films were determined. Films contained a middle buried layer of recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) comprising 25-50% by weight (bw) of the multilayer structure. Respective films containing 100% virgin LDPE as the buried layer were used as controls. Under realistic polymer/food simulant contact conditions during irradiation, a large number of primary and secondary radiolysis products (hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, carboxylic acids) were produced. These compounds were detected in the food simulant after contact with all films tested, even at the lower absorbed doses of 5 and 10 kGy (approved doses for food preservation). The type and concentration of radiolysis products increased progressively with increasing dose. Generally, there were no significant differences in radiolysis products between samples containing a buried layer of recycled LDPE and those containing virgin LDPE (all absorbed doses), indicating the good barrier properties of external virgin polymer layers. Volatile and non-volatile compounds produced during irradiation affected the sensory properties of potable water after contact with packaging films. Taste transfer to water was observed mainly at higher doses and was more noticeable for multilayer structures containing recycled LDPE, even though differences were slight.     

Cold Oxygen Plasma Treatments for the Improvement of the Physicochemical and Biodegradable Properties of Polylactic Acid Films for Food Packaging

The effects of cold plasma (CP) treatment on the physicochemical and biodegradable properties of polylactic acid (PLA) films were studied. The PLA films were exposed to CP for 40 min at 900 W and 667 Pa using oxygen as the plasma‐forming gas. The tensile, optical, and dynamic mechanical thermal properties, surface morphology, printability, water contact angle, chemical structure, weight change, and biodegradability properties of the films were evaluated during storage for up to 56 d. The tensile and optical properties of the PLA films were not significantly affected by CP treatment (CPT; P > 0.05). The surface roughness and water contact angle of PLA films increased by CPT and further increased during storage for 56 d. The printability of the PLA films increased following CPT and remained stable throughout the storage period. CP‐induced hydrophilicity was also sustained during the storage period. The PLA films lost 1.9% of their weight after CPT, but recovered 99.5% of this loss after 14 d in storage. Photodegradation, thermal, and microbial biodegradable properties of the films were significantly improved by CPT (P < 0.05). Accelerated biodegradation of CP‐treated PLA sachets with and without cheese was observed in compost. These results demonstrate the potential of CPT for modifying the stiffness, water contact angle, and chemical structure of PLA films and improving the printability and biodegradability of the films for food packaging.     

超高压处理对LDPE、PA6食品包装材料包装性能可逆性的研究

本文在不同条件下对LDPE、PA6进行超高压(HPP)处理,测定不同压力、保压时间及存储时间对材料拉伸强度、热封性能、阻隔性能、热性能以及包装性能可逆性的影响。实验表明:处理压力、保压时间及存储时间对2种材料的热封性均未产生显著影响,但LDPE、PA6试样的拉伸强度随压力升高明显增大;当压力300 MPa时LDPE的透湿性逐渐上升,当压力300 MPa时LDPE的透湿性又逐渐降低,对PA6来说,当压力100 MPa时,材料的透湿性明显下降由10.13 g/(m2·d)(0.1 MPa/10 min)降低到6.79 g/(m2·d)(200 MPa/10 min),但随压力增大透湿性下降的幅度并不明显;两种材料的熔融焓在HPP下均有升高,当存储24 h后,两种材料的ΔH又有所恢复;与0.1 MPa下相比,经过HPP后对异丙基甲苯在LDPE(500 MPa)和PA6(100 MPa)薄膜中的渗透率分别降低约50%和58%,但随着存储时间的延长又逐渐恢复至常压下的渗透率。研究发现实验中采用的LDPE和PA6 2种薄膜的包装性能均有可逆现象出现。     

Effects of Thermal and High-pressure Treatments on the Microbiological,Nutritional and Sensory Quality of a Multi-fruit Smoothie

Fruit juices have become an important product for the healthy food world. In the last 5 years, the sales of industrial juices treated by non-thermal preservation technologies such as high-pressure processing (HPP) have strongly increased. In the present study, the effect of the application of two stabilization treatments, mild heating (MH; 80 °C for 7 min) and high-pressure processing (HPP; 350 MPa for 5 min), on multi-fruit smoothies was compared on a wide range of quality parameters immediately after treatment and during a refrigerated storage of 21 days. From the physico-chemical and instrumental colour point of view, immediately after treatment, HPP smoothies were more similar to the fresh product than those treated by MH. During storage, the colour of MH smoothies was more stable although HPP ones showed lower browning index and viscosity more similar to the untreated product. Additionally, HPP provided smoothies with better sensory properties and higher nutritional quality than MH. In general, HPP smoothies were more similar to the untreated product. However, HPP smoothies kept a residual enzyme activity which is likely to limit the shelf life of this multi-fruit smoothie.     

Effect of HLB value on the properties of chitosan/zein/lemon essential oil film-forming emulsion and composite film

The properties of film-forming emulsion with emulsifiers of different hydrophilic–lipophilic balance were evaluated, and the performance of chitosan/zein composite film containing lemon essential oil was examined. The retention ratio of lemon essential oil in the film and the release of lemon essential oil from film to food simulation system were also quantitatively analysed. Results showed that the emulsifier with higher hydrophilic–lipophilic balance would make lemon essential oil disperse evenly in the film-forming emulsion, leading to smaller particle size and a lower viscosity of emulsion. Compared with C/Z/L, with the increasing hydrophilic–lipophilic balance value of emulsifier, the tensile strength and water contact angle of films decreased to 28.06 MPa and 23.39°, respectively. Emulsifier with high hydrophilic–lipophilic balance value could effectively increase the initial retention ratio of essential oils in the film, and the maximum initial retention rate of the C/Z/L-15 film was 79.12%. The release of lemon essential oil in each treatment increased rapidly at first and then it slowed down. C/Z/L-15 had the highest retention rate after 12 days, and C/Z/L-11 had the best sustained release effect when lemon essential oil was released into the food simulant.     

ZnO-PDMS超双疏薄膜对腐败希瓦氏菌生物被膜的抑制机制

为提高食品贮藏加工材料表面对水产品腐败希瓦氏菌生物被膜的抗黏附性能,以聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)为成膜剂,以水热合成法制备的不同微观形貌的ZnO微纳米粒子为改性剂,采用流延法制备了ZnO-PDMS薄膜,并研究了薄膜对腐败希瓦氏菌生物被膜的抑制性能及作用机理。结果表明：改性ZnO微纳米粒子的微观形貌影响PDMS薄膜的疏水疏油性能,以绒球状和花状ZnO微纳米粒子为改性剂,可获得ZnO-PDMS超双疏薄膜,对水和油的接触角均大于150°。薄膜的抗菌黏附性能与疏水疏油性能呈正相关,随着培养时间的延长,ZnO薄膜释放的Zn²⁺破坏了细菌细胞膜,并抑制胞内ATP酶和AKP酶活性,引起细菌代谢紊乱导致细菌死亡。相较于棒状和绒球状微纳米粒子改性的PDMS薄膜,花状ZnO-PDMS薄膜具有更强的抗黏附性能和抑菌效能。同时具有超双疏性能和抗菌性能的ZnO-PDMS薄膜可有效抑制腐败希瓦氏菌生物被膜的形成和生长,研究旨在为抗生物被膜材料的研制提供技术支持。     

Varying the temperature of the liquid used for high-pressure processing of prerigor pork: effects on fresh pork quality, myofibrillar protein solubility, and frankfurter textural properties

The objective was to evaluate high-pressure processing (HPP) with varying liquid (water) temperatures on pork quality and textural properties of frankfurters. HPP pressurization liquid temperatures were 15.5 °C (HPP Low) and 29.4 °C (HPP Med). Analyses were conducted using paired boneless loins and paired boneless hams. Loins were evaluated for pH, purge loss, objective color, subjective color, firmness; and changes in color after a bloom period. Eight independent batches (2 batches each of HPP Low, paired untreated, HPP Med, and paired untreated) of frankfurters were manufactured from the outside portion of the ham and the knuckle. Both HPP treatments resulted in higher (P < 0.05) ultimate pH and less (P < 0.05) purge loss of the loin. Loin tenderness was not different among either HPP treatment temperature groups when compared to untreated controls except HPP Med chops were more tender (P = 0.02) than untreated controls. Salt-soluble protein extractability of inside ham muscles was lower (P < 0.05) for both HPP treatment levels when compared to untreated controls, but was not different between the 2 HPP treatment levels. Textural properties of frankfurters were not different for either HPP treatment group when compared to its respective untreated control for any parameter except springiness. HPP Low frankfurters had lower (P = 0.10) springiness values than untreated controls. Fracturability of HPP Med samples was lower (P = 0.12) than untreated controls. Overall, HPP caused higher ultimate pH and increased water-holding capacity, but did not affect tenderness of fresh meat or textural properties of frankfurters. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: HPP can be used on prerigor pork as means to improve fresh pork quality. Loins from HPP-treated pork sides had higher ultimate pH values and less package purge loss. Tenderness values were not affected positively or negatively by HPP treatment. The high pH and water-holding capabilities of treated samples have positive implications for further processing applications. Frankfurter textural properties suggest emulsified products can be made with pressurized pork without sacrifice to the textural profile.     

Microbial safety and consumer acceptability of high-pressure processed hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria)

Littleneck hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) harvested from New Jersey coastal waters in the United States were high-pressure processed (HPP) in their shells using a 10 L high-pressure processing unit. A response surface (RS) methodology approach was used to optimize the pressure and time parameters for microbial inactivation caused by the high-pressure application. The total surviving microbial load in the hard clams was enumerated after processing at each experimental condition. The results indicated that log reduction in total plate count (TPC) due to high-pressure processing of hard clams was primarily a function of pressure. Pressure of at least 480 MPa was needed to achieve 1-log reduction in TPC in hard clams harvested from special restricted waters. In a parallel study, a panel of 60 regular raw clams consumers tasted both raw and processed hard clams that were harvested from approved waters and HPP at 310 MPa for 3 min. The consumers showed equal preference for processed and raw hard clams. Two subgroups of hard clam consumers were revealed; 1 group preferred the plumpness of the HPP clam and the other group preferred aroma of the unprocessed clam. Thus, plumpness and aroma may influence consumer acceptance of HPP hard clams. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: High-pressure processing has gained momentum as a processing technique that aids in retention of fresh appearance in foods. It holds promise as a method to process premium value food products while retaining quality attributes. Quantification of its impact on safety and consumer acceptance is critical for its acceptance and use in the food industry.     

Novel silver-based nanoclay as an antimicrobial in polylactic acid food packaging coatings

This paper presents a comprehensive performance study of polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites, obtained by solvent casting, containing a novel silver-based antimicrobial layered silicate additive for use in active food packaging applications. The silver-based nanoclay showed strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative Salmonella spp. Despite the fact that no exfoliation of the silver-based nanoclay in PLA was observed, as suggested by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) experiments, the additive dispersed nicely throughout the PLA matrix to a nanoscale, yielding nanobiocomposites. The films were highly transparent with enhanced water barrier and strong biocidal properties. Silver migration from the films to a slightly acidified water medium, considered an aggressive food simulant, was measured by stripping voltammetry. Silver migration accelerated after 6 days of exposure. Nevertheless, the study suggests that migration levels of silver, within the specific migration levels referenced by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), exhibit antimicrobial activity, supporting the potential application of this biocidal additive in active food-packaging applications to improve food quality and safety.     

Mechanical and barrier properties of biodegradable soy protein isolate-based films coated with polylactic acid

Polylactic acid (PLA)-coated soy protein isolate (SPI) films were prepared by dipping SPI film into PLA solution. The effects of coating on improvements in mechanical and water barrier properties of the film were tested by measuring selected film properties such as tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (E), water vapor permeability (WVP), and water solubility (WS). TS of SPI films increased from 2.8±0.3 up to 17.4±2.1 MPa, depending on the PLA concentration of the coating solution, without sacrificing the film's extensibility. In contrast, the extensibility of SPI film coated with solution containing more than 2 g PLA/100 ml solvent, increased. WVP of PLA-coated SPI films decreased from 20 to 60 fold, depending on the concentration of PLA coating solution. Water resistance of SPI films was greatly improved as demonstrated by the dramatic decrease in WS for PLA-coated films. The improvement in water barrier properties was mainly attributed to the hydrophobicity of PLA.     

Lysozyme release from isolate pea protein and starch based films and their antimicrobial properties

The objective of the current research was to analyze the effects of the pea protein and corn starch films as well as the temperature influence (10 and 25 °C) on the release of lysozyme to a food simulant (agar gel). Lysozyme concentration at different depths of food simulant was measured, as a function of diffusion time, through its enzyme activity. In both polymer matrices, a loss of lysozyme activity was observed after film formation. Diffusion of lysozyme was enhanced when temperature increased, mainly when pea protein films were tested. A higher retention of lysozyme in the film starch matrix was significantly detected which could be attributed to the different hydration degree of the film in contact with the agar medium and the different interactions between the enzyme and the film polymer chains. The antimicrobial effectiveness of pea protein and starch films containing lysozyme (0, 50, 75 and 100 mg lysozyme/g hydrocolloid), against Listeria monocytogenes was proved. At 10 °C, both matrices were effective against the pathogen. At 25 °C, the effectiveness of films significantly decreased and pea protein films showed the best antimicrobial activity.     

The use of mechanical analyses,scanning electron microscopy and ultrasonic imaging to study the effects of high‐pressure processing on multilayer films

The effects of high‐pressure processing (HPP) on the mechanical and physical characteristics of eight high‐barrier multilayer films were investigated. These films were PET/SiO_x/LDPE, PET/Al₂O₃/LDPE, PET/PVDC/nylon/HDPE/PP, PE/nylon/EVOH/PE, PE/nylon/PE, metallised PET/EVA/LLDPE, PP/nylon/PP and PET/PVDC/EVA. In addition, PP was evaluated as a monolayer film for comparison purposes. Pouches made from these films were filled with distilled water, sealed, then pressure processed at 600 and 800 MPa for 5, 10 and 20 min at a process temperature of 45 °C. Pouches kept at atmospheric pressure were used as controls. Prior to and after HPP, all films were tested for tensile strength, percentage elongation and modulus of elasticity (at 50 cm min^?1) and imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and C‐mode scanning acoustic microscopy (C‐SAM). Results showed no significant changes in tensile strength, elongation and modulus of elasticity of all films after HPP. However, significant physical damage to metallised PET (MET‐PET) was identified by SEM and C‐SAM. Thus it could be concluded that MET‐PET is not suitable for batch‐type high‐pressure‐processed food packaging. It can also be concluded that the other materials investigated during this study are suitable for batch‐type high‐pressure‐processed food packaging. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Assessing the Impact of High-Pressure Processing on Selected Physical and Biochemical Attributes of White Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata alba)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined pressure/temperature treatments (200, 400 and 600 MPa, at 20 and 40 °C) on key physical and chemical characteristics of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata alba). Thermal treatment (blanching) was also investigated and compared with high-pressure processing (HPP). HPP at 400 MPa and 20–40 °C caused significantly larger colour changes compared to any other pressure or thermal treatment. All pressure treatments induced a softening effect, whereas blanching did not significantly alter texture. Both blanching and pressure treatments resulted in a reduction in the levels of ascorbic acid, effect that was less pronounced for blanching and HPP at 600 MPa and 20–40 °C. HPP at 600 MPa resulted in significantly higher total phenol content, total antioxidant capacity and total isothiocyanate content compared to blanching. In summary, the colour and texture of white cabbage were better preserved by blanching. However, HPP at 600 MPa resulted in significantly higher levels of phytochemical compounds. The results of this study suggest that HPP may represent an attractive technology to process vegetable-based food products that better maintains important aspects related to the content of health-promoting compounds. This may be of particular relevance to the food industry sector involved in the development of convenient novel food products with excellent functional properties.     

Antioxidants Release from Solvent-Cast PLA Film: Investigation of PLA Antioxidant-Active Packaging

The release study of natural antioxidants, i.e., ascorbyl palmitate and α-tocopherol, and synthetic phenolic antioxidants including butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) from polylactic acid (PLA) film into food simulants were accomplished. PLA antioxidant films were placed in contact with 95, 50, and 10 % ethanol at 40 and 20 °C. Released antioxidants were regularly measured by high-performance liquid chromatography system for 60 days. Ascorbyl palmitate was completely degraded during film preparation and is not a suitable antioxidant for PLA antioxidant-active packaging. The diffusion coefficient (D) and partition coefficient (K) of antioxidants were calculated based on obtained data. Diffusion of the antioxidants from PLA to the simulants showed a Fick’s behavior with the diffusion coefficient (D) value between 10^?9 and 10^?11 cm² s^?1 with 0–100 % of release. Faster and higher release of antioxidants occurred at 40 °C according to Arrhenius law. At 40 °C, TBHQ in 95 % ethanol decomposed to 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone and other quinone derivatives, and α-tocopherol in 50 % ethanol decomposed to some unknown neoformed compounds. Antioxidants molecular weight, Log P, simulant polarity, and temperature were the most influencing factors on antioxidants release rate from PLA films in contact with food simulants. The D and K coefficients of studied antioxidants from PLA in three food simulants and two temperatures can be used to create PLA antioxidant-active packaging to continually control the oxidation reactions in diverse foodstuffs to ensure higher food qualities. The PLA antioxidant-active packaging approach also permits to reduce the amounts of directly added antioxidants in foods to provide safer foods.     

High-pressure processing of fish and shellfish products: Safety,quality, and research prospects

Seafood products have been one of the main drivers behind the popularity of high-pressure processing (HPP) in the food industry owing to a high demand for fresh ready-to-eat seafood products and food safety. This review provides an overview of the advanced knowledge available on the use of HPP for production of wholesome and highly nutritive clean label fish and shellfish products. Out of 653 explored items, 65 articles published during 2016–2021 were used. Analysis of the literature showed that most of the earlier work evaluated the HPP effect on physicochemical and sensorial properties, and limited information is available on nutritional aspects. HPP has several applications in the seafood industry. Application of HPP (400–600 MPa) eliminates common seafood pathogens, such as Vibrio and Listeria spp., and slows the growth of spoilage microorganisms. Use of cold water as a pressure medium induces minimal changes in sensory and nutritional properties and helps in the development of clean label seafood products. This technology (200–350 MPa) is also useful to shuck oysters, lobsters, crabs, mussels, clams, and scallops to increase recovery of the edible meat. High-pressure helps to preserve organoleptic and functional properties for an extended time during refrigerated storage. Overall, HPP helps seafood manufacturers to maintain a balance between safety, quality, processing efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Further research is required to understand the mechanisms of pressure-induced modifications and clean label strategies to minimize these modifications.     

Effect of microwave heating on the migration of dioctyladipate and acetyltributylcitrate plasticizers from food-grade PVC and PVDC/PVC films into olive oil and water

Migration of dioctyladipate (DOA) and acetyltributylcitrate (ATBC) plasticizers from plasticized Polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC/PVC (Saran) films into both olive oil and distilled water during microwave heating has been studied. The plasticizer migrating into olive oil and water was determined using an indirect GC method after saponification of the ester-type plasticizer (DOA or ATBC) and subsequent collection of the alcohol component of the ester, namely: 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and 1-butanol, respectively. Migration was dependent on heating time, microwave power setting, the nature of the food simulant and the initial concentration of the plasticizer in the film. Migration of DOA into olive oil reached equilibrium after heating for 10 min at full power (604.6 mg DOA/1). Migration into distilled water was 74.1 mg/1 after 8 min of microwave cooking at full power. The amount of ATBC migrating into olive oil reached equilibrium after heating for 10 min at full power (73.9 mg ATBC/1). Migration into distilled water was 4.1 mg/1 after heating at full power for 8 min. Control samples containing olive oil gave DOA migration values which were significantly higher than the upper limit for global migration (60 mg/1) set by the European Community. It is proposed that PVC should not be used in direct contact with food in the microwave oven, while Saran may be used with caution in microwave heating and reheating applications, avoiding its direct contact with high fat foodstuffs.