The influence of microwaves on the migration of undesirable compounds from ecological food contact materials (FCMs) into food

<p>The data relate to experimental studies assessing the effect of 700 W microwave radiation on the safety of neutral and acidic foods heated in currently popular plant-based food contact materials (FCMs). Low-molecular-weight carbonyl compounds (particularly formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone) were used as markers of undesirable dynamic interactions between FCMs and food. Appropriate food simulants were used in the migration studies, simulating neutral food (distilled water, 10% ethanol) and acidic food (3% acetic acid). Preliminary sample preparation for the studies, including derivatisation, extraction and purification, enabled the use of a sensitive method: gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD) for the identification and quantification of organic contaminants migrating from plant-based FCMs into neutral and acidic foods. This allowed for the assessment of the safety of eco-friendly materials intended for the rapid heating of food in microwave ovens. </p>