A wide variety of chemicals of concern are known to migrate from food contact materials (FCMs) into food, thereby becoming available for human exposure (FPF reported). In addition, chemicals of unknown identity and/or unknown hazards can transfer from FCMs into food but remain overlooked in targeted chemical assessments (FPF reported). Effect-directed analysis enables the identification and characterization of hazardous compounds, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), by combining non-target chemical analysis and biological assays.
In an article published on February 26, 2026, in the journal Food Chemistry, Anne E. Ringelmann from the Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany, and co-authors applied effect-directed analysis to assess migrates of four coffee-to-go cups made of cellulose with a polyethylene lining and two meal-to-go boxes made of cellulose.
What did they find?
The researchers found that the chemical mixtures migrating from the samples contained genotoxic, cytotoxic, antiestrogenic, antiandrogenic, and thyroid-disrupting substances. Their finding underscores previous study results where migrates of plastic consumer products and paper & board FCMs, showed endocrine-disrupting and genotoxic activities in in vitro bioassay (FPF reported and here).
Ringelmann and co-authors also identified the chemicals present in the mixtures that induced specific biological activities. These inlcude 2,5-dihydroxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione (CAS 615-94-1), 4-octylphenol (CAS 1806-26-4), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) (CAS 84-74-2) as estrogenic; (hydroxyethyl)methacrylate (CAS 868-77-9) as cytotoxic; and 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate (CAS 6606-59-3) as genotoxic. DBP is a Tier 1 chemical on the Food Contact Chemicals Priority (FCCprio) List, which means that it is a hazardous chemical of confirmed exposure potential since it has evidence for detection in national human biomonitoring programs and migration from FCMs.
They further identified the per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2FTOH) (CAS 647-42-7) and its degradation product 6:2 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acid (6:2FTUCA) (CAS 70887-88-6) in thyroid-disrupting migrates, but considered them to be of “low concern.” Ringelmann and co-authors emphasize that “further FCMs made of cellulose-based paper and cardboard should be investigated in the future to expand the list of hazardous substances that may pose a health risk and ensure comprehensive coverage.”
Besides traditional in vitro bioassays, the scientists also applied planar bioassays, where the separation of chemical mixtures (e.g., by thin-layer chromatography) and bioactivity assessment is combined in a single, two‑dimensional format. This allows for more easily pointing to individual hazardous compounds compared to traditional bioassay. Ringelmann and co-authors pointed out the advantages of planar bioassays to include enhanced sensitivity, efficiency, and comprehensiveness resulting from the inherent separation and prioritization of hazardous substances.
What did they do?
The scientists performed migration testing according to EU Regulation No. 10/2011 using 95% ethanol and ultrapure water as food simulants, with incubation for two hours at 70 °C or at room temperature. Concentrated migrates were applied to in vitro bioassays assessing baseline toxicity (Microtox assay), mutagenicity (Ames fluctuation assay), thyroid disruption (CALUX assay), and (anti‑)estrogenic and (anti‑)androgenic activity (yeast reporter gene assays).
Planar assays were used to assess baseline toxicity, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and (anti‑)estrogenic and (anti‑)androgenic activity. The material type of the FCMs was identified using attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier‑transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. All samples were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‑CI‑MS/MS) for PFAS and by high‑performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC‑MS/MS) for unknown hazardous substances.
Reference
Ringelmann, A. E. et al. (2026). “Hazardous migrants from food contact materials by in vitro as well as planar bioassays and high-resolution mass spectrometry.” Food Chemistry. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148659
