Meaning
European standards that specify a method for the determination of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons in foodstuffs and packaging materials represent a major analytical benchmark. This standard, designated as EN 16995, employs online high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection for the quantification of these mineral oil fractions. It focuses on the extraction and analysis of hydrocarbons in the carbon number range of ten to fifty.
The method is widely applied to verify that recycled polymer materials do not migrate harmful mineral oils into food products.
Analytical Method
The chromatographic system separates the mineral oil saturated and aromatic fractions using a silica gel column before gas chromatography analysis. This pre-separation prevents the co-elution of different hydrocarbon classes, allowing for more accurate quantification of each fraction. The gas chromatograph then resolves the hydrocarbons based on boiling point, producing two distinct chromatograms for the saturated and aromatic compounds.
The flame ionization detector provides a response that is proportional to the carbon mass, ensuring consistent quantification across the entire molecular weight range.
Migration Assessment
Food-packaging materials made from recycled polymers must be tested to determine their potential to release mineral oils. The standard describes the extraction procedures using organic solvents to measure both the total content and the specific migration of these substances. When migrated mineral oils are detected, they appear as broad chromatographic humps consisting of thousands of unresolved compounds.
This unresolved complex mixture must be integrated and quantified against known internal standards to evaluate food safety compliance.
Regulatory Application
Compliance with this European standard is essential for manufacturers of food-contact plastics to demonstrate that their products are safe. Food safety authorities utilize this methodology to monitor marketplace samples and enforce migration limits. The sensitivity of the method allows for the detection of mineral oil contaminants at concentrations as low as zero point five milligrams per kilogram.
Adhering to this analytical protocol ensures that polymer formulations do not release unacceptable levels of chemical contaminants.
