European survey of contamination of homogenized baby food by epoxidized soybean oil migration from plasticized PVC gaskets.

The results are reported of a European survey of the contamination of baby food with epoxidized soyabean oil (ESBO). Fat from the sample was extracted, transmethylated and derivatized for analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Analysis was carried out of 248 samples of various types of foodstuffs from the 15 European Union Member States as well as Switzerland. ESBO was found in 95 of 248 samples analysed at levels from 1.5 to 135.2 mg kg(-1). The highest concentrations were found in main dish mixed foods such as vegetables and meat or carbohydrate- and vegetable-based mixes. Levels exceeded 30 mg kg(-1) in 15% of the samples, and 4% exceeded the overall migration limit fixed for plastics in the European Union of 60 mg kg(-1). This level of contamination is significant, confirming results from previous surveys and indicating a risk for the tolerable daily intake to be exceeded. These results suggest that an emphasis must be placed for more systematic research with a focus on the parameters for migration.