Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers in various consumer products, including food contact materials (FCMs). Their presence and migration have been demonstrated for hundreds of plastic and paper FCMs (FPF reported and here), including in those labeled “natural”, “compostable”, or “biodegradable” (FPF reported). As they are linked to neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption (FPF reported), OPEs raise concerns about human exposure and potential health risks.
In an article published on October 15, 2026, in the peer-reviewed Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Minghao Sun, from Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, and co-authors reported the widespread presence of OPEs in preprepared dishes available in China. Preprepared dishes are meal products that are processed, partially or fully cooked, stored in plastic packaging, and may be reheated directly in their packaging. Accordingly, they may have much longer contact times with plastics than freshly prepared foods.
OPE levels in preprepared dishes
The researchers analyzed a total of 347 dishes purchased in Beijing, China, including five groups: pork-based (n = 95), beef/mutton-based (n = 71), poultry-based (n = 74), aquatic-food-based (n = 61), and plant-based foods (n = 46). Of the 28 target OPEs, they detected 23 in more than 60% of the samples, with tripentyl phosphate (TPeP; CAS 2528-38-3) detected in up to 99% of the samples. Total OPE concentrations ranged from 1.05 to 115.23 ng/g sample. Acryl- and alkyl-OPE accounted for 36% and 33% of the total OPE concentration. Tri(3-chloropropyl) phosphate (TCIPP; CAS 13674-84-5) had the highest median concentration among all individual OPEs (90 ng/g wet weight). While the authors did not report the composition of the packaging materials of their analyzed foods, TCIPP is commonly associated with polyurethane foams, phenolic resins, and epoxy resins.
OPE comparison between food products
Comparing total OPE concentrations across the five food groups, Sun and co-authors found only a modest difference between the combined four animal-based groups and the plant-based group. They explained this difference by OPE bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in raw animal-derived ingredients, the generally higher fat content of animal-derived foods facilitating OPE migration from FCMs into food, and differences in processing intensity, seasoning, packaging materials, and storage conditions.
Preprepared dishes versus fresh foods
The scientists further compared preprepared dishes with 140 fresh foods, including meat, dairy, aquatic foods, and eggs. At 3.45 ng/g wet weight, the median concentration of total OPEs in fresh foods was approximately 2.6-fold lower than in the preprepared dishes, suggesting that “industrial processing and manipulation of food products may introduce additional OPEs into foods.”
Migration from FCMs
Besides investigating OPEs in food products, Sun and co-authors also evaluated the substances’ release from 42 FCMs by performing migration experiments with fatty food simulant (ethanol/water) at 60 °C for 2 hours. Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP; CAS 115-86-6) migrated at the highest levels, with mean concentrations of 268.5, 516.0, and 97.5 ng/g FCM from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and so-called “eco-friendly” materials (e.g., bio-based plastics), respectively. TCIPP also migrated at high levels. Because TCIPP and TPHP were among the most dominant OPEs in preprepared dishes, the authors suggested that “FCMs might possibly contribute to OPE contamination in preprepared dishes, particularly under a strong fatty-food simulant and prolonged elevated-temperature contact.” Importantly, the analyzed FCMs were not paired with the preprepared food samples; therefore, these results rather demonstrate migration potential than source apportionment.
Potential health risks
“A scenario-based exposure assessment indicated that OPE intake via preprepared dish consumption was below available health-based guidance values,” the researchers found. However, they also clarified that consumption data specific to preprepared dishes are not available, and that hazard information and toxicological thresholds are missing for many OPEs.
OPE exposure has been linked, for example, to metabolic toxicity, elevated odds of asthma and reduced lung function in adolescents, and lower bone mineral density in children and adolescents.
Reference
Sun, M. et al. (2026). “Organophosphate Esters and Their Metabolites in Commercially Available Preprepared Dishes: Occurrence, Migration from Food Contact Materials, and Dietary Exposure.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6c08095
