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Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate is the most widely used packaging material worldwide for bottled water and other non-alcoholic refreshment beverages. However, in recent years, concerns are rising about the safety of polyethylene terephthalate food packaging due to the possible migration of chemical compounds from polyethylene terephthalate bottles into the water contained in it which may pose health risk to consumers. In Europe, the EU Regulation No 10/2011 on food packaging materials establishes a positive list of the compounds authorised for use in plastic materials intended to come into contact with food and provides migration limits for several molecules. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration regulates food contact substances, materials and articles. All existing regulations are published in the United States Code of Federal Regulation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Materials and articles, including active and intelligent materials and articles, shall be manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practice so that, under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could endanger human health, or bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics thereof (European Parliament and Council 2004, Article 3).

Abbreviations

MXD-6:

1,3-benzenedimethanamine

CHDM:

1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol

DEHP:

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate

BHET:

Bis-hydroxyethyl-terephthalate

BHT:

Butylated hydroxytoluene

CFR:

Code of Federal Regulations

DoC:

Declaration of Compliance

DBP:

Dibutyl phthalate

DEP:

Diethyl phthalate

DiisoBP:

Diisobutyl phthalate

DMP:

Dimethyl phthalate

DMT:

Dimethyl terephthalate

EA:

Environmental Assessment

EIS:

Environmental Impact Statement

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

EG:

Ethylene glycol

EFSA:

European Food Safety Authority

EU:

European Union

FONSI:

Finding of No Significant Impact

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

FCM:

Food Contact Material

FCS:

Food Contact Substance

IBWA:

International Bottled Water Association

IPA:

Isophthalic acid

MTR:

Melt to Resin

MEG:

Monoethylene glycol

NIAS:

Non-Intentionally Added Substance

OML:

Overall Migration Limit

PhA:

Phthalic acid

PA:

Polyamide

PET:

Polyethylene terephthalate

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

PIA:

Purified isophthalic acid

SSP:

Solid-state polymerisation

SML:

Specific migration limit

TPA:

Terephthalic acid

Tg:

Transition temperature

UV:

Ultraviolet

U.S.:

United States of America

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Correspondence to Maria Anna Coniglio .

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Coniglio, M.A., Fioriglio, C., Laganà, P. (2020). Polyethylene Terephthalate. In: Non-Intentionally Added Substances in PET-Bottled Mineral Water. SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39134-8_3

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