Monitoring of various contaminants in takeaway articles made from paper and board food contact materials in Turkey

Paper and board food contact materials are used in various food packaging types. Especially, takeaway articles made of paper and board food contact materials are important parts of the fast food sector. In this study, various takeaway articles such as straws, trays, bowls, wraps, and boxes used in the packaging of both fast food and traditional dishes in Turkey were selected. Potential migrants including phthalates, bisphenols, photoinitiators (PIs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were determined in takeaway articles by LC-MS/MS. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the major compound among phthalates detected in takeaway articles in 80 samples having at levels up to 25.1 mg/kg. Bisphenol A (BPA) was the predominant bisphenol, ranging from 0.01 to 1.13 mg/kg. Only three photoinitiators: benzophenone (BP), 1-hydroxylcyclohexyl phenylketone (HCPK), and 4-methyl benzophenone (4-MBP) were detected in samples. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected as PFAS in only four boxes. Among takeaway articles, pizza boxes were identified as important potential contaminant sources.