Assessment of potential food contamination by primary aromatic amines (PAAs) with focus on kitchenware

Abstract

Primary aromatic amines (PAAs) are among the contaminants that have to be monitored constantly, as various PAAs have genotoxic, carcinogenic and allergenic effects according to toxicological studies in vitro and in vivo. According to the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO / IARC) various PAAs are classified in groups 1, 2A and 2B which respectively refer to carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic to humans or possibly carcinogenic. The presence of PAAs in foods may be due to the migration of components from multilayer packaging material (polyurethane adhesives) and the use of colored containers and kitchenware, which use organic dyes and pigments in their formulation. In the EU several monitoring campaigns on PAAs have detected cases of non-compliance with the limits (10 µg kg-1), especially in materials imported from China such as polyamide kitchenware. In Brazil, there is no information, analysis or data on the presence of PAAs in household items intended to come into direct contact with food whether produced nationally or imported. The control of primary aromatic amines in organic pigments and dyes is still limited by the absence of laboratories equipped with appropriate equipment for such analyses. The objectives of this project are: to develop and validate methodology for simultaneous determination of several aromatic amines in household appliances intended for direct food contact by liquid chromatography and detection by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); to study the presence of aromatic amines in household items of different colors and the type of material such as polyamides, silicone and polypropylene depending on usage conditions (conventional oven and microwave) and repeated use. In addition, it is proposed to evaluate the presence of PAAs of household items such as spatulas, ladles, cupcakes and cake tins and colored jars available in the retail sector, either manufactured in Brazil or imported. Thus, this project would fill a gap in PAAs analysis of these materials. The knowledge gained will be transferred to the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) to propose, if necessary, the creation of a specific technical regulation of PAAs in household items and / or establishing PAA limits in the Brazilian and Mercosur legislation. (AU)