ABSTRACT
The aim was to study the effect of electron-beam irradiation on the production of radiolysis products and sensory changes in experimental high-barrier packaging films composed of polyamide (PA), ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Films contained a middle buried layer of recycled LDPE, while films containing 100% virgin LDPE as the middle buried layer were taken as controls. Irradiation doses ranged between zero and 60 kGy. Generally, a large number of radiolysis products were produced during electron-beam irradiation, even at the lower absorbed doses of 5 and 10 kGy (approved doses for food 'cold pasteurization'). The quantity of radiolysis products increased with irradiation dose. There were no significant differences in radiolysis products identified between samples containing a recycled layer of LDPE and those containing virgin LDPE (all absorbed doses), indicating the 'functional barrier' properties of external virgin polymer layers. Sensory properties (mainly taste) of potable water were affected after contact with irradiated as low as 5 kGy packaging films. This effect increased with increasing irradiation dose.
Subject(s)
Food Irradiation/adverse effects , Food Packaging/instrumentation , Polyethylenes/radiation effects , Sensation , Alcohols/analysis , Carboxylic Acids/analysis , Color , Conservation of Natural Resources , Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Humans , Hydrocarbons/analysis , Ketones/analysis , Nylons/chemistry , Nylons/radiation effects , Polyethylenes/chemistry , Polyvinyls , Smell , Taste , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
The advantages of micellar cloud point extraction combined with a surfactant-assisted separation in a HPLC system are presented as a method for the effective separation and determination of nine biogenic amines in fish substrates. Benzoyl derivatives of the amines are extracted inside the micelles of a non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-114, and separated with gradient elution micellar liquid chromatography. Quantification was performed by measuring the UV absorbance of the benzene ring at 254 nm. Detection limits of the nine biogenic amines were in the vicinity of 0.01 mg l(-1) which are approximately 10 times lower than those of the conventional method (HPLC-UV) and 100 times lower than those of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. The correlation coefficients of determinations were 0.9911-0.9996. The method was applied for the determination of putrescine, cadaverine, agmatine, tyramine, tryptamine, phenylethylamine, spermine, spermidine and histamine in trout samples. Recovery of the proposed method ranged from 95 to 103.5%.
