Survey of phthalate levels in food on the Belgian market and their possible contamination pathways

The main pathway for human exposure to phthalates is via dietary intake. The presence of phthalates in food is not only because of their movement up the food-chain, but also due to their migration from food packaging into food. In this study, the presence and concentration of phthalates levels in food products on the Belgian market were determined and the various contamination pathways were explored. For this purpose, a sampling campaign and analytical measurements in the laboratory were carried out. Four hundred representative samples of widely consumed foods were purchased in Belgian shops. Sample selection is based on 1) consumption data from the Belgian national food consumption survey and 2) the likelihood that foods contain phthalates. Brand name, packaging material and properties, fat content, date of production or shelf life, time and place of purchase, picture and product specific properties (e.g. pH, preserving agent) were stored in a database. This database was further used to explore the various contamination pathways by identifying relations between measured phthalate concentrations and sample properties. The measurement campaign involves 10 phthalate esters which are determined by GC-EI-MS. Blank concentrations were carefully controlled because phthalates are omnipresent in the laboratory. We developed suitable extraction techniques for the various food matrices. The analysis of food samples on the Belgian market shows a wide variety of phthalate concentrations. Possible contamination causing conditions are e.g. the pH and fat content of the food product and the composition and the properties of the packaging material. Acknowledgement – This study was funded by the Federal Public Service of Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (contract RT/ 08/1 PHTAL