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IFSH FOOD PACKAGING RESEARCH NEWSLETTER 

2016 VOL. 01, NO. 1
INTRODUCTION
Dear IFSH Members:

Welcome to our inaugural newsletter of the food packaging working group (PWG) at IFSH.  We hope all of you have had a productive 2015.  With so many different disciplines of food safety research being conducted at IFSH, we would like to update interested members on research project developments and accomplishments in the area of food packaging and nanomaterials safety. If you would like any additional information on any of our packaging-based projects or activities, please reach out to us by email.  Especially, please contact us if you have identified areas of potential concern for food packaging safety that you feel require addressing and investigating as a new research project at IFSH.

Currently, IFSH-PWG is initiating a new research project to determine the current state and amount of food-grade machinery lubricant (H1) transfer into foods to validate the maximum concentrations allowed in foods.  Due to improved machinery enclosures, such as sealed bearings and chain guards on processing equipment, it is expected that current exposure to H1 lubricants has decreased considerably from the past.  We are looking for a few model systems which would provide an accurate assessment while also being a worst-cast scenario for lubricant contamination into foods.  This is a call for industry expertise in identifying food processing machinery which would provide the highest level of lubricant transfer into foods and for industry collaboration by testing your own machinery.  Please contact Dr. Song if you are interested in collaborating and participating in this project.

PROJECT UPDATES 
Pressure Effect on Chemical Migration Project:
FDA researchers at IFSH have successfully evaluated potential migration issues in high pressure processing (HPP) applications for pre-packaged foods.  Migrations of six organic compounds from PP and PET films into food simulants during and after HPP and thermal processing were measured and compared to determine whether safety issues in the aspect of chemical migration should be addressed concerning the use of HPP in the production of foods in direct contact with the materials...  More 

Migration Database Project:
FDA researchers at IFSH have collected some of the first small molecule diffusion coefficient datasets in Nylon food contact materials. Migration datasets of the inherently low diffusivity Nylon 6 at four different temperature conditions are valuable to the food industry and regulatory scientists evaluating food contact notifications since it enables the validation and refinement of mathematical migration models as predictive tools... More

Nanotechnology-based Projects:
FDA researchers at IFSH have fabricated composite materials using low density polyethylene and nanoclays, silver nanoparticles, and semiconductor nanocrystals. A full suite of mechanical and thermal characterization techniques have been employed to study the properties of these materials. Release tests are being performed to determine whether these nanoparticle additives can be released into the environment under conditions relevant to the intended use of food contact materials... More

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 
Dr. Duncan co-organized and chaired a session at the 2015 workshop "Quantifying Exposure from Engineered Nanomaterials in Consumer Products", cosponsored by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Nanotechnology Initiative... More

 

PRESENTATIONS 
Nanotechnology... More
Packaging Integrity and Chemical Migration... More
PUBLICATIONS
Nanotechnology... More
Packaging Migration... More

MEET THE FOOD PACKAGING WORKING GROUP MEMBERS
FDA Principal Investigator

FDA Principal Investigator

FDA Principal Investigator 

Akhil Bajaj, 
IIT Graduate Research Assistant
 
Xiaoteng Gong,
IIT Graduate Research Assistant 

Yue Zhou, 
IIT Graduate Research Assistant

Ziqian Zhao, 
IIT Graduate Research Assistant

WELCOME TO PACKAGE INTEGRITY IIR
After considerable efforts to capitalize on 17+ years of seal integrity research that has been conducted here at IFSH, the Package Integrity Internet Information Resource (IIR) webpage has finally become alive on IFSH website.

The Package Integrity IIR is an open-access online resource that will serve FDA inspectors, FDA analysts, and industry with correct classification & identification of package defects and the most appropriate & up-to-date inspection techniques to ensure the integrity of flexible and semi-rigid food packages.

IIR Screen Shot

Please take your time and explore what our website has to offer and if you have any questions, please contact us. http://www.iit.edu/ifsh