Food Contamination with Styrene Dibromide via Packaging Migration of Leachate from Polystyrene Cold-Storage Insulation

During distribution through an offshore transportation and cold-storage network, a multitonne consignment of cheese became contaminated, as apparent by a surface taint on some of the cheese blocks. Analysis of the volatile aroma compounds revealed that the taint was caused by styrene dibromide, esti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of food protection 2007-04, Vol.70 (4), p.1037-1040
Main Author: Bendall, J.G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
carcinogens
Cheese - analysis
cheeses
cold storage
Consumer Product Safety
discoloration
food contamination
Food Contamination - analysis
Food industries
Food microbiology
Food Packaging
food storage
food surfaces
food transport
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Handling, storage, packaging, transport
Humans
packaging materials
packaging materials migration
polystyrenes
Polystyrenes - analysis
Polystyrenes - toxicity
styrene
toxic substances
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Summary:During distribution through an offshore transportation and cold-storage network, a multitonne consignment of cheese became contaminated, as apparent by a surface taint on some of the cheese blocks. Analysis of the volatile aroma compounds revealed that the taint was caused by styrene dibromide, estimated to be present in the tainted cheese at less than nanogram per gram concentrations. Condensed water, which had accumulated within the polystyrene insulation over a period of years, had been released by physical damage to the walls of an old cold store, and organic contaminants from the leached water had migrated through the packaging material of the cheese bags. Because styrene dibromide is toxic and mutagenic, its presence was intolerable in food intended for human consumption, and the consignment of cheese was ordered to be destroyed.
ISSN:0362-028X
1944-9097
DOI:10.4315/0362-028X-70.4.1037