Meaning
Testing media replicate the extractive behavior of food or pharmaceuticals when they contact packaging materials. migration simulants use liquids such as ethanol or vegetable oil to measure the quantity of additives and monomers that leach from a polymer under specific conditions, and they are used until a real-world shelf-life test replaces them.
Chemical Correlation
Different fluids represent different types of food based on their acidity and fat content. Distilled water simulates aqueous foods, while acetic acid stands in for acidic products like fruit juices. The choice of simulant must match the intended use of the container to produce meaningful data.
Exposure Limit
Testing involves placing a known surface area of the plastic in contact with the liquid at a set temperature. The concentration of substances that move into the liquid is then measured and compared to legal thresholds. These limits ensure that the total amount of transferred material does not pose a health risk.
Test Protocol
Standards define the duration of contact to represent either short-term use or long-term storage. Heating the simulant accelerates the migration process to provide results in days rather than months. Successful completion of these tests is a requirement for any new resin intended for the food market.
