Report of an interlaboratory comparison from the European Reference Laboratory for food contact materials : ILC001-2013 - proficiency testing on food simulant E containing a cocktail of potential migrant substances

This report presents the results of the EU Interlaboratory comparison (ILC) of the EURL-FCM, which were obtained in the identification and the quantification of unknown substances in the food simulant E. Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 establishes poly(2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide) (e.g. Tenax®) as food simulant E for testing migration compliance of plastics in contact with dry foodstuffs. The choice of the substances was based on the recent scientific literature related to migration from food contact materials (plastic and paperboard) into simulant E. The simulant E was spiked with 7 substances at given concentrations the closest as possible to its own specific migration limit (SML), when available in Regulation (EU) 10/2011 or tailored for the exercise. A list containing 10 substances in which 5 were effectively present in the simulant was distributed to the participants. The other 2 unknown substances were not reported in the list. Homogeneity and stability studies were conducted. As this ILC was a proficiency testing, the National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and the Official Control Laboratories (OCLs) had to identify and quantify the unknown substances using analytical methods of their choice. The laboratories performance was successful with more than 61% satisfactory results over the entire exercise which was quite complex and extensive. Considering the individual substances, more than 80% of satisfactory quantification within tolerance limits was achieved (ACPH 94%, BP 80%, CAP 86%, DEHA 82%, DTBP 88%, ETHX 83% and OCT 87%). The laboratories performance concerning the identification of the unknown substances was successful, with 25 correct results out of 30 (83%), even taking into account the complexity of the exercise. This exercise was the first Proficiency Testing carried out at EU level on Food Simulant E with the aim to evaluate the performance of the National Reference Laboratories among the Member States. The ILC001-2013 provided the first successful attempt to derive data at EU level for identification and quantification of potential migrants including unknowns coming from food contact material, as plastic packaging and paperboard, in food simulant E.