Examination of styrene-divinylbenzene ion-exchange resins, used in contact with food, for potential migrants

Abstract

The nature of extractable substances from five types of styrene-divinylbenzene ion-exchange resins used in the preparation of foodstuffs was investigated. Strong acid cation resins, strong and weak base anion resins, and an active carbon replacement resin were examined. These resins are used for a variety of purposes including water softening, decalcification of sugar syrups, demineralization, removal of nitrate ions from water and decolourization. Analysis was carried out using electrospray LC-MS- and GC-MS-based methodologies. Extractable substances from new resins were identified as mainly being by-products of the resin manufacturing process. Levels of extractable substances decreased with washing.

Keywords:

• Ion-exchange resin
• food contact
• styrene-divinyl benzene resin
• extractable substances
• LC-MS
• thermal desorption GC-MS
• two-dimensional gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOF-MS)

Acknowledgement

The study was funded by the UK Food Standards Agency (Project A03042: Substances Migrating from Ion-exchange Resins). Permission to publish the data is gratefully acknowledged.