Bamboo tableware is sometimes marketed as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics made of fossil carbon feedstock. However, such materials have attracted attention due to potential safety concerns, e.g., due to the migration of melamine. In fact, most of the bamboo- (or plant-based) labeled products are made with melamine-formaldehyde resin as binder, while bamboo or other plant-based fibers or powders only serve as structural and strengthening additives (fillers).
In an article published on February 7, 2025, in the journal Food Control, Kamila Bechynska from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Czech Republic, and co-authors demonstrated that melamine is still widely present in food contact articles (FCAs) declared as being made with bamboo. The researchers detected melamine and its derivates in 20 of 21 samples labeled as bamboo and in 2 of 12 made of other bio-based feedstocks. Melamine migration exceeded EU legal limits for six products.
Bechynska and co-authors performed non-targeted screening of a total of 33 bio-based FCA extracts from the Czech Republic, the UK, and China. Of the 33 FCAs, 21 were made of bamboo and 14 were intended for children. They tentatively identified 79 compounds, 55 of which were plant metabolites. The remaining 24 compounds included phthalates, the surfactant triethanolamine (CAS 102-71-6), several pesticide residues, and mycotoxins, besides melamine and its residues. Targeted screening of 442 pesticides verified benzalkonium chlorides as being present most frequently, but insecticides and fungicides were also detected. The authors emphasized the importance of assessing the safety of bio-based tableware before placing it on the market.
For this study, extracts of crushed or cut samples from the FCAs were prepared with isooctane, ethanol, and 3 % acetic acid and applied to non-targeted screening by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) for the chemical analysis. Migrate testing was performed with 3% acetic acid, orange juice, and hot lemon tea at 70 °C for 2 hours, and migrates were analyzed for melamine and pesticide residues.
In the EU, the plastic food contact materials (FCMs) regulation limits the specific migration of melamine (CAS 108-78-1) and formaldehyde (CAS 50-00-0) to 2.5 and 15 mg/kg food, respectively, but several cases of melamine migration above the legal limit have been reported (FPF reported, here, and here). Formaldehyde is classified as carcinogenic, and melamine as possibly carcinogenic to humans (FPF reported). In addition, melamine has been associated with effects on the urinary system and reproductive toxicity (FPF reported, here and here). In February 2025, the Canadian government published a revised risk management scope for melamine to reduce exposure to this compound from FCMs (FPF reported).
On top of that, in 2021, the EU banned the use of bamboo and other plant-based constituents as additives in plastic FCMs (FPF reported). The EU launched an Enforcement Action Plan to ensure that bamboo and other illegal plant-based additives are not marketed in the EU (FPF reported).
Reference
Bechynska, K., et al. (2025). “Comprehensive assessment of bamboo and other bio-based dishes contamination.” Food Control. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111188
