Assessment of Bisphenol A Specific Migration from Packaging Materials into Food Simulants Using UHPLC-MS/MS and LC with Fluorescence Detection

Importance of the Topic

Bisphenol A is widely used in epoxy coatings and polycarbonate packaging; its endocrine disrupting potential has led to regulatory limits. Accurate and sensitive detection of BPA migration into foods is crucial for consumer safety and compliance with international regulations.

Objectives and Study Overview

This work validated and compared two chromatographic methods to quantify specific migration of BPA into food simulants: ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL). Four standard food simulants representing aqueous, acidic, alcoholic and fatty foods were tested under regulatory conditions.

Instrumentation

• UHPLC-MS/MS: Agilent 1290 Infinity LC system coupled to Agilent 6400 Series Triple Quadrupole, negative ESI mode, C18 column, isocratic methanol/water with acetic acid.
• HPLC-FL: Agilent 1200 Infinity series with fluorescence detector, RP C18 column, isocratic methanol/water.

Main Results and Discussion

• Detection limits for UHPLC-MS/MS were 2.6–30 times lower than HPLC-FL in aqueous simulants and nearly 5 times lower in the fat simulant; quantification limits were similarly reduced.
• Calibration curves showed excellent linearity (R2 > 0.996) over the tested concentration ranges for both methods, meeting regulatory requirements.
• Recovery ranged from 71% to 115% at low concentration and 82% to 112% at higher levels using UHPLC-MS/MS, comparable to HPLC-FL performance.
• Analysis times were 2 minutes per sample for UHPLC-MS/MS and 7–12 minutes for HPLC-FL depending on simulant type.

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Method

• High sensitivity and specificity of UHPLC-MS/MS allow reliable monitoring of BPA at levels well below regulatory limits.
• Rapid analysis reduces turnaround time, facilitating high throughput screening in quality control and regulatory testing.
• Applicable to a variety of packaging materials and food types for comprehensive migration assessment.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Extension of the approach to other plasticizers and emerging contaminants by adapting mass spectrometric detection.
• Integration with high resolution mass spectrometry for non-targeted screening of unknown migrants.
• Development of miniaturized or on-site testing platforms for real time monitoring.

Conclusion

Validated UHPLC-MS/MS and HPLC-FL methods provide robust tools for assessing BPA migration from packaging into food simulants. UHPLC-MS/MS offers superior sensitivity and speed, supporting consumer exposure studies and regulatory compliance efforts.

References

• European Union Regulation on plastic materials in contact with food (EU No 10/2011).
• Mercosur Technical Regulation on positive lists for food contact materials.
• Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency resolutions on migration limits.
• CEN/TS 13130-13 standard on determination of BPA migration.
• INMETRO guidance on analytical method validation.