Determination of polymer additives-antioxidants and ultraviolet (UV) absorbers by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV photodiode array detection in food simulants.

An analytical method for the quantitative determination of migration levels of polymer additives such as antioxidants and UV absorbers in food packages by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV-vis photodiode array detection has been developed. The pretreatment step involved solid-phase extraction with silica C18 cartridges. The analytical method showed good linearity, presenting regression coefficients (R(2)) ≥ 0.9990 for all compounds. This optimized method was also validated with respect to precision, reproducibility, stability, and accuracy. The limits of detection and quantification were between 0.09 and 1.72 μg mL(-1) and between 0.20 and 5.64 μg mL(-1) for 12 analytes, respectively. Recoveries were in the range of 67.48 and 108.55%, with relative standard deviations between 2.76 and 9.81%. Migration levels of antioxidants and UV absorbers were determined. Butylated hydroxyanisole, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, Cyanox 2246, Irganox 1035, Tinuvin 326, Tinuvin 328, Irganox 1010, and Irganox 1330 were detected; BHT and Cyanox 2246 were at higher levels than the specific migration levels in some food simulants.