Food‑packaging interaction during ultrasound processing: migration of monomers from multilayer polyamide packages to diferent food simulants

Abstract

This study evaluated the migration of monomers from two multilayer packages for three food simulants due to ultrasound processing. A three (PE/PA/PE) and a ve (PE/PA/PE/PA/PE) layers packages, based on polyethylene (PE) and polyamide (PA6/6.6), were studied. The packages were lled with aqueous, acid and fatty food simulants and processed in an ultrasound bath (25 kHz, volumetric power of 9.74 W/L, 25 °C) up to 60 min, simulating possible food processes. The migration of ε-caprolactam was inuenced by packaging material, food simulant and ultrasound processing time, being higher in the three-layers package. The ultrasound processing did not inuence the overall migration nor those of hexamethylenediamine, in any packages, food simulant nor process conditions. Although all results met the migration limits established by both Brazilian and European Union legislations, this study highlights the importance of packaging design and evaluation in the development of emerging technologies of food processing.