Contamination Sources And Preventive Measures Of Phthalates In Edible Oil

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), also known as phthalates, are a group of lipophiliccompounds that are mainly used as plasticizers in plastics industries. Most of them are akind of viscous liquid with low volatility which can dissolve in most organic solvents.PAEs were mainly added into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materia l as plasticizer to makePVC material soften. Phthalic acid esters are widely used in food packaging materials, toys,plastic washer and tube on machine and equipments, medicine latex tube and blood bags,dishwashing liquid, vinyl wallpaper and floor glue, nail polish, shampoo and many otherproducts. Some kinds of PAEs will be harmful to human’s immune system, reproductivesystem and digestive system. PAEs can act on cell’s chromosomes and leads to the changeof chromosome number or structure. That means long-term intake of PAEs can induce livercancer.Phthalic acid ester became a hot topic was caused by the―plasticizer storm‖in Taiwan.In May2011, some drinks companies in Taiwan were found to add toxic plasticizer to theirproducts illegally. Many famous drinks companies in Taiwan were involved in this event.And some brands of drinks have been sold to mainland China. In November2012, the―white spirit plasticizer event‖occurred in mainland China. One kind of well-known brandwhite spirit was found to contain3kinds of PAEs, including DEHP, DBP and DIBP. Andsome kinds of PAEs have also been detected in edible oil.Edible oil is a kind of necessary food for human. It can provide energy and essentialfatty acid (EFA), and promote the absorbing of fat-soluble vitamins. There are manydifferent varieties of edible oils on the market in China. They have different productiontechnology and process. As a result, they have different quality. Edible oil has a greatchance to be contaminated by PAEs because of its complicated production process. Thepotential sources of pollution are contaminated oilseeds, production process, packingmaterials, storage and transportation. In this study, possible contamination sourcesincluding raw materials, packaging materials and oil processing link were analyzedaccording to the test results. And then, some preventive measures were proposed.This study collected88edible oil samples on Chinese market, and then the type andcontent of PAEs in these oil samples were determined. Preliminary data analysis wascarried on.The type and content of PAEs in oil samples collected from different processing stepswere tested. And then, the type and content of PAEs in plastic parts of edible oil packingmaterials were tested.The contamination sources of PAEs in edible oils were analyzed according to thetesting results above. And then, some preventive measures were proposed aimed at thecontamination sources.