Development and Validation of a Rapid Method for Identification and Quantitation of Benzophenone and Related 17 Derivatives in Paper and Cardboard Packaging Materials by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Benzophenone (BP) and its derivates are photoinitiators widely used in food packaging to cure inks or lacquers with ultraviolet light on cardboards and papers. Although there is no specific European legislation covering printing inks for food contact use, the European Food Safety Authority published recommendations of a limit of 0.6 mg/kg for the sum of BP and 4-methylbenzophenone. In this study, a method has been devised to test migration levels of BP and BP derivates in foodstuffs. Eleven different paper or cardboard materials were analysed for their BP and derivative contents. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of BP and other 17 derivatives for the first time were performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry system. The method was evaluated by validation parameters such as linearity, repeatability, accuracy and precision values. According to results, maximum values by specific migration test (at 40°C for 10 days, using TENAX) were 10.83 mg/l for BP, 0.53 mg/l for 1-hydrocyclohexylphenylketone, 0.47 mg/l for 4-methylbenzophenone, 0.22 mg/l for 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone and 0.4 mg/l for methyl-2-benzoylbenzoate.