Next Article in Journal
Effect of Wine Yeast (Saccharomyces sp.) Strains on the Physicochemical, Sensory, and Antioxidant Properties of Plum, Apple, and Hawthorn Wines
Previous Article in Journal
Curcumin-Mediated Photodynamic Treatment Enhances Storage Quality of Fresh Wolfberries via Antioxidant System Modulation
Previous Article in Special Issue
Natural Eutectic Solvent-Based Temperature-Controlled Liquid–Liquid Microextraction and Nano-Liquid Chromatography for the Analysis of Herbal Aqueous Samples
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Foods
Volume 14
Issue 16
10.3390/foods14162842
foods-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

HPLC-MS Detection of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Lauryl Ethoxylates in Foodstuffs and the Inner Coatings of High-Barrier Pouches

by
Monika Beszterda-Buszczak
1,
Magdalena Frańska
2 and
Rafał Frański
3,*
1
Department of Food Biochemistry and Analysis, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Mazowiecka 48, 60-623 Poznań, Poland
2
Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Poznań University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
3
Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2025, 14(16), 2842; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162842
Submission received: 22 June 2025 / Revised: 5 August 2025 / Accepted: 14 August 2025 / Published: 16 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Control and Chemical Analysis for Pesticide Residues, Mycotoxins, and Other Contaminant Components in Agri-Food)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

The widespread use of non-ionic surfactants, e.g., nonylphenol ethoxylates or dodecyl ethoxylates, may result in their occurrence in foodstuffs. In this paper, extracts from the coatings and from the contents of high-barrier food pouches were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. These flexible pouches are an alternative package format of growing interest which can replace traditional cans. In almost all samples, nonylphenol ethoxylates and dodecyl ethoxylates were detected. The identified nonylphenol ethoxylates usually contained 4–10 oxyethylene units, while the identified dodecyl ethoxylates contained 3–13 oxyethylene units. However, in a few samples, longer fractions of dodecyl ethoxylates were detected, namely those containing >15 oxyethylene units. A comparison of the non-ionic surfactant concentrations in the coating extracts with their concentrations in the content extracts indicated that the coating materials were not the main sources of the contents’ contamination. Other contaminants, namely BADGE conjugates and cyclic cooligoesters, which are common contaminants of canned foodstuffs, were found to rarely occur in high-barrier food pouches. Unexpectedly, in one sample polypropylene glycol was detected at a low concentration; this compound has not been previously identified as a potential food contaminant.

1. Introduction

Alkylphenol and alcohol ethoxylates are common non-ionic surfactants which have been used for various industrial and domestic applications, e.g., as detergents, emollients, wetting agents, emulsifiers, and degreasers. The widespread use of these compounds is responsible for their occurrence in the environment, which has stimulated the development of analytical methods for effectively detecting these compounds in the environment [1,2,3], monitoring the distribution of these compounds and their degradation products in various environmental systems [4,5,6,7], and evaluating the environmental risk related to their occurrence [8,9,10,11,12].
It is also already known that the widespread use of non-ionic surfactants may lead to their occurrence in foodstuff. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOn) are among the most common non-ionic surfactants, and nonylphenol (NP) is the product of their degradation [13]. Consequently, there are a number of papers concerning the analysis of nonylphenols in food samples [14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25]. Papers analyzing NPEOn concentrations in food samples are less numerous than those concerning NP analysis [26]. Jiang et al. analyzed NPEOn in three leafy vegetables (cabbage, lettuce, and spinach) [27], and She at al. analyzed short NPEOn (NPEO2 and NPEO1) in various kinds of cultivated plants (cabbage, leek, cucumber, maize, and soy bean) [28]. Cai et al. analyzed NP and NPEO1 in ten kinds of vegetables [29]. Chen and Mullin analyzed the presence of NPEOn in honey [30]. These four papers have provided evidence of NPEOn entering food samples from the environment [27,28,29,30]. Nonylphenol ethoxylates may also be introduced to food from food packaging materials. Barahona et al. found NP and short NPEOn (NPEO2 and NPEO1) in powdered infant milk formula [31]. Viñas et al. detected short NPEOn (NPEO2 and NPEO1) in commercial fruit juices (orange, pineapple, apple, peach, and grapefruit) [32], while Rashed and Guenther detected nonylphenol carboxylates (NPEOn degradation products) in various foodstuffs [33].
Recently, there has been growing interest in flexible pouches as an alternative package format which can replace traditional cans. Currently, it is difficult to find alternative solutions to high-barrier pouches. They offer a range of important advantages, such as ease of use, relatively low cost, and fewer technical requirements for production. They also provide a broad range of protections, including mechanical protection against impacts and friction; physical protection against sunlight, UV rays, and odors; and protection against potential chemical or microbial contamination. Consequently, multilayer plastic packaging is widely used for various types of food packaging, particularly for baby food pouches and ready-to-serve/microwavable meals. There are numerous studies concerning the properties of packaging materials (e.g., the effects of pressure-assisted thermal sterilization processing on the barrier properties of food pouches) and the chemical, microbiological, and sensory stability of food stored in this type of packaging [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44]. Therefore, this topic seems to be already quite well researched. On the other hand, packaging of this type may also be a source of potential food contaminants (migrants) and, in contrast to the numerous studies on migrants originating from traditional cans (e.g., devoted to migrant analysis, factors affecting the migration process, and the risk for humans) [45,46,47,48], to the best of our knowledge, flexible pouches have not yet been studied as a source of potential migrants. Therefore, we decided to carry out an HPLC-MS analysis of extracts from the coatings and from the contents of high-barrier pouch foodstuff as a first screening for potential migrants in this type of food packaging.
In this paper, we present the results of our HPLC-MS analysis of non-ionic surfactant concentrations in extracts from the coatings (samples 1A–12A) and from the contents (samples 1B–12B) of high-barrier pouches (Table 1). In almost all samples, nonylphenol ethoxylates (C9H19-C6H4-(OCH2CH2)n-OH, NPEOn) and dodecyl ethoxylates (ethoxylated lauryl alcohol, C12H25-(OCH2CH2)n-OH, DDEOn) were detected. The ratio of these compounds in the content and coating samples strongly depended on the type of analyzed foodstuff. Potential migrants typical of traditional cans, i.e., BADGE conjugates and cooligoesters, were found in only two samples.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Analyzed Samples

A total of 12 multilayer high-barrier pouches were collected from supermarkets in western Poland in February 2025. Extracts from the coatings (samples 1A–12A) and from the contents (samples 1B–12B) were analyzed (Table 1).

2.2. Sample Preparation

A total of 12 multilayer high-barrier pouches were collected from supermarkets in western Poland in February 2025 (see Table 1 for detailed description). All food products were collected in triplicate and initially stored in their original containers, ensuring they did not exceed their expiry date. Empty containers with a net weight ranging from 80 to 170 g were filled with 20 mL of acetonitrile (Super Purity Solvent, Romil Ltd., Cambridge, UK), and those with a net weight ranging from 250 to 400 g were filled with 50 mL. Mechanical extraction was performed by stirring the empty pouches containing the appropriate volume of acetonitrile using a 6-place stirring block (HS 260 Control, IKA, Staufen im Breisgau, Germany). The sealed packages were attached to a shaker and their contents were gently mixed in a reciprocating motion for 60 min. The extraction procedure was performed twice. The extracts were concentrated by evaporation in a vacuum to a minimum, and the residues were re-dissolved to a final volume of 2 mL with acetonitrile. Prior to HPLC-MS analysis, the samples were filtered again through 0.45 µm syringe filters.
The food samples from the multilayer containers (Table 1) after homogenization were transferred into 50 mL polypropylene centrifuge tubes. In brief, 10 g of the sample was weighed and extracted with 15 mL acetonitrile (Super Purity Solvent, Romil Ltd., Cambridge, UK). Next, 4 g of NaCl and 2 g of MgSO4 (both from Avantor Performance Materials, Gliwice, Poland) were added to the solution, which was then vortexed and centrifuged. The top acetonitrile layer (5.0 mL) was carefully transferred to a centrifuge tube and the mixture was centrifuged again. Finally, 2.0 mL of the top layer was filtered through a Millipore PTFE filter (0.22 µm) prior to HPLC-MS analysis.

2.3. High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Analyses

HPLC-MS analyses were performed using a Waters Arc HPLC pump and a Waters SQD mass spectrometer (single quadrupole-type instrument equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, Z-spray, Milford, MA, USA). The software used was MassLynx V4.2 SCN1046 (Milford, MA, USA). The sample solutions were injected into an XBridge® C18 column (3.5 µm, 100 mm × 3 mm i.d.; Waters, Warsaw, Poland) using an autosampler. The injection volume was 10 µL. The solutions were analyzed using a linear gradient of CH3CN/H2O with a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The gradient started from 0% CH3CN to 97% H2O with 3% of a 10% solution of formic acid in water (in other words, the 10% solution of HCOOH was continuously dosed with 3% of the total flow rate), reaching 97% CH3CN after 10 min, and the latter concentration was kept for 5 min. The HPLC-MS analysis was performed in the positive ion mode in the m/z range 100–1200. Each sample was analyzed three times. The nebulizing and desolvation gas was nitrogen at a flow rate of 100 and 300 L/h, respectively. The source temperature was 120 °C, and the desolvation temperature was 300 °C. The electrospray source potentials were as follows: capillary, 3 kV; lens, 0.5 V; extractor, 4 V; and cone voltage (CV), 50 and 100 V. At the lower value, [M+H]+, [M+NH4]+, and [M+Na]+ ions were detected, whereas at the higher value, only [M+Na]+ ions were observed.
In order to semi-quantitively evaluate the amount of ethoxylates in the analyzed extracts, Triton X-100 (Sigma-Aldrich, Poznań, Poland; CAS-No 9036-19-5, C8H17-C6H4-(OCH2CH2)n-OH), an octylphenol ethoxylate (OPEOn), was used as an internal standard. This is a polydisperse mixture of C8H17-C6H4-(OCH2CH2)n-OH compounds, and the concentrations of individual compounds are not known. The limit of detection (LOD) of individual compounds was ~0.05 µg/mL, and the limit of quantitation was ~0.15 µg/mL. The linearity range was ~0.1–100 µg/mL, with R2 ≈ 0.96 (Triton X-100 concentrations in the analyzed solution). These values depended on the number of oxyethylene units—e.g., for C8H17-C6H4-(OCH2CH2)5-OH, the LOD was 0.07 µg/mL, and for C8H17-C6H4-(OCH2CH2)10-OH, the LOD was 0.03 µg/mL (which, among others, may be related to the concentrations of individual compounds in the sample of Triton X-100). The analyses were performed in triplicate, and the relative standard deviation did not exceed 7%.
In order to semi-quantitively evaluate the amount of the polypropylene glycol detected in one of the analyzed extracts, polypropylene glycol (Sigma-Aldrich, Poznań, Poland; CAS-No 25322-69-4) was used as a standard.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Qualitative Identification of Analyzed Ethoxylates

Figure 1 shows exemplary single ion chromatograms of [M+Na]+ ions obtained for the content extract of sample 7B. NPEOn and DDEOn were detected as a series of ions (peaks) differentiated by forty-four Daltons (mass of CH2CH2O unit) [49,50,51].
Under the employed chromatographic conditions, the difference of one CH2CH2O unit caused almost no difference in retention times, while the difference of a few CH2CH2O units caused slight differences in retention times. Therefore, upon HPLC-MS analysis, it was possible to obtain the ESI mass spectrum containing characteristic peaks separated by 44 Daltons, as shown in Figure 2. It can be assumed that [M+H]+ ions are formed from [M+NH4]+ ions by the loss of a NH3 molecule as a result of ‘in-source’ fragmentation. It is clear that the larger the ions are, the less efficient the process is; thus, the larger the ions, the higher the relative abundances of [M+NH4]+ ions (Figure 2).
In most of the analyzed samples, the identified NPEOn compounds were those with n = 4–10, and the DDEOn compounds were those with n = 3–13 (Figure 2). In samples 7A/7B, 8A, and 9A, longer fractions of DDEOn were detected (n > 10), especially in sample 9A, in which the detected DDEOn compounds were those with n = 16–21. Exemplary mass spectra are shown in the Supplementary Materials (Figure S1).

3.2. Semi-Quantitative Analysis of NPEOn and DDEOn

Due to the polydispersity of the analyzed compounds, their exact quantitative determination is very difficult (if possible at all) since it would require employment of pure homologous NPEOn and DDEOn molecules. Therefore, it was not possible to carry out methodological assessments such as those of sample recovery, linear range, detection limit, and quantification limit. On the other hand, we decided to use Triton X-100 (octylphenol ethoxylate, OPEOn) as an internal standard to estimate the concentrations of the detected NPEOn and DDEOn in the analyzed extracts. Their concentrations were estimated by comparing the extracted ion chromatogram peak areas of NPEOn and DDEOn with those of OPEOn containing an identical number of CH2CH2O units, n (sums of the peak areas of ions [M+H]+, [M+NH4]+, [M+Na]+ were taken for calculations). It can be assumed that the ethoxylate ESI response mainly depends on the ability of ethoxylates to form [M+H]+, [M+NH4]+, and [M+Na]+ ions. Therefore, for a given n, NPEOn, DDEOn, and NPEOn have very similar ESI responses. The hydrophobic parts also affect the ESI response; however, for the analyzed compounds, these parts are of similar sizes (C15H23-, C12H25-, and C14H21-, respectively), so they do not yield significant differences in ESI responses.
Figure 3 shows the estimated concentrations (μg/mL) of NPEOn (Figure 3a) and DDEOn (Figure 3b) in the coating extracts (green) and content extracts (red). Although the food contact material seems to be the main source of non-ionic surfactants in pouch contents, the obtained results may cast doubt on this claim. The coating extract 7A contained the highest amount of NPEOn (~6 μg/mL), whereas in the content extract 7B, the amount of NPEOn was much lower (~1 μg/mL, Figure 3a). An analogous situation was noted for DDEOn in the coating/content extracts of sample 4 (Figure 3b). On the other hand, both the coating and content extracts of sample 7 contained a high amount of DDEOn (~4 and ~3 μg/mL, respectively, Figure 3b). It cannot be expected that the migration degrees of NPEOn and DDEOn are much different; therefore, besides the food contact material, there must be another source of DDEOn in the content extract 7B (Figure 3). In the content extract 12B, the amount of NPEOn was low (~1 μg/mL), but in the coating extract 12A, no NPEOn was detected (its amount was below the detection limit). An analogous situation was noted for DDEOn in the coating and content extracts of sample 9, where the DDEOn amount was much lower in the coating extract 9A than in the content extract 9B (~0.2 and ~0.8 μg/mL, respectively, Figure 3b). It cannot be expected that the NPEOn migration degree in sample 12 and the DDEOn migration degree in sample 9 would be much higher than the migration degree in other samples. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that besides the food contact material, there must be other sources of NPEOn and DDEOn in the contents of samples 12 and 9, respectively. The coating extract 12A contained a much higher amount of DDEOn than the content extract 12B (~2.5 and ~0.5 μg/mL, respectively, Figure 3b), whereas, as described above, for NPEOn in sample 12, the opposite situation was noted (Figure 3a). Since it is reasonable that the migration degrees of NPEOn and DDEOn are similar, it is another indication that there must be other sources of non-ionic surfactants in the analyzed high-barrier pouch contents. It is also worth noting that both NPEOn and DDEOn were detected in the coating extract 10A, but not in the content extract 10B (Figure 3).
In four analyzed samples, namely 7A/7B, 8A, and 9A, longer fractions of DDEOn were detected (n > 10). Their estimated amounts were low (<1 μg/mL), and the highest amount was detected in the content extract 7B, which was higher than that for the coating extract 7A, as shown in Figure 4. For samples 8A and 9A, the longer fractions were detected only in the coating extracts. The results obtained for longer DDEOn fractions confirm the earlier mentioned suggestions that the food contact material is not always the source, or not the only source, of non-ionic surfactants in high-barrier pouches’ contents.
Taking into account the packaging types, it is difficult to correlate the amounts of NPEOn and DDEOn determined in the coating extracts with the packaging types. For example, the highest amount of NPEOn was found in sample 7A, one of the coating extracts of a spouted high-barrier pouch, whereas in the other extracts of spouted high-barrier pouches (1A, 2A, 3A, and 5A; Table 1), the amounts of NPEOn were much lower (Figure 3a).
Relatively high amounts of DDEOn, namely >2 μg/mL, were found in samples 1A and 7A (extracts of spouted high-barrier pouches), 8A (extract of a multilayer bag with a degassing valve), and 4A and 12A (extracts of retort pouches). Therefore, these three types of packaging can be regarded as a source of DDEOn in food. On the other hand, the amount of DDEOn was also relatively high only in extract 7B (ketchup) (Figure 3b). Since DDEOn migration into the foodstuff in sample 7 is not expected to be much higher than in samples 1, 4, 8, and 12 (Table 1), the coating material in sample 7 most probably was not the source of DDEOn.

3.3. Comparison of the Oxyethylene Chains Length of the Ethoxylates Detected in the Analyzed Samples

When HPLC-MS analysis was performed at the higher cone voltage value, only [M+Na]+ ions were detected. Therefore, the mass spectra obtained in these conditions, which are not affected by the fragmentation/formation of [M+H/NH4]+ ions, were used for comparison of the relative abundances of detected ethoxylates, containing oxyethylene chains of various lengths.
Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7 show the relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for an ethoxylate molecule with different oxyethylene chain lengths (containing different numbers of oxyethylene units).
In the content extracts, the most abundant compound was always NPEO7, but there were significant differences between the samples with respect to the relative amounts of shorter and longer NPEOn compounds (Figure 5). The abundant longer NPEOn compounds were found in the content samples 1B, 7B, and 12B; however, these samples drastically differed in composition. Therefore, it was also difficult to find a correlation between the analyzed contents (Table 1) and oxyethylene chain length. On the other hand, it is worth noting that the content extracts contained slightly longer NPEOn compounds than the coating extracts (Figure 5).
In the coating extracts, the most abundant compound was usually DDEO6, with the exception of samples 2A and 1A/6A, in which the most abundant compounds were DDEO7 and DDEO5, respectively (Figure 6). In the content extracts, the most abundant compound was usually DDEO7, with the exception of samples 4B and 5B, in which the most abundant compound was DDEO7 (Figure 6). As with NPEOn, it was difficult to find a correlation between the oxyethylene chain length of the detected DDEOn and the type of analyzed samples (Figure 6, Table 1). Furthermore, the content extracts contained slightly longer DDEOn compounds than the coating extracts (Figure 6).
It is clear that there are significant differences in the analyzed samples with respect to the abundances of the detected ethoxylates with a given number of oxyethylene units. In the coating extracts, the most abundant compounds were NPEOn with n = 5 or 6, with the exception of sample 7A, in which the most abundant compound was NPEO7 (Figure 5). It is worth noting that sample 7A contained the highest amount of NPEOn (Figure 3). On the other hand, it is difficult to find a correlation between packaging type (Table 1) and oxyethylene chain length.
The longer fractions of DDEOn found in samples 7A/7B, 8A, and 9A also show differences with respect to the abundances of the detected ethoxylates with a given number of oxyethylene units. The longest fraction was found in sample 9A, in which the most abundant compounds were DDEO18 and DDEO19 (Figure 7). The significant differences between samples 7A and 7B suggest that the longer fractions of DDEOn found in these samples are not of the same origin.

3.4. Detection of Other Potential Migrants in the High-Barrier Pouch Coating Material

In three of the analyzed samples of high-barrier pouches, besides the above described non-ionic surfactants, other kinds of potential migrants were detected, as shown in Table 2.
In sample 5A (extract of a spouted high-barrier pouch), cyclic cooligoesters, consisting of one diol monomer, namely neopentyl glycol (NPG), and adipic acid/isophthalic acid (AA/iPA) as diacid comonomers, were detected as a series of ions (peaks) differed by twenty Daltons (Figure S2). Identification of cooligoesters in sample 5A indicates that the food contact material in sample 5 contains polyesters. The detailed mass spectrometric identification of these compounds has been described elsewhere [52,53]. It has already been established that cyclic oligoesters are more toxic than linear ones since the former are usually assessed as Cramer III compounds [54]; therefore, spouted high-barrier pouches may be regarded as a potential source of relatively dangerous compounds. However, from among the five extracts of spouted high-barrier pouches (Table 1), cyclic cooligoesters were detected only in one extract (5A).
In sample 9A (extract of a high-barrier pouch/filter paper), polypropylene glycol (PPG) was detected (concentration ~5 μg/mL) as a series of ions (peaks) differed by fifty-eight Daltons (Figure S3). It is a slightly surprising result since, to the best of our knowledge, this compound has not been identified previously as a potential migrant. Sample 9A was the only extract of a high-barrier pouch/filter paper; therefore, further studies may be desirable to determine if PPG is a more common compound occurring in this type of packaging (although PPG toxicity is very low [55]).
In sample 12A (extract of a retort pouch), conjugates of bisphenol A di(mono)glycidyl ether (BAD(M)GE) with butoxyethanol (BuOEtOH) were identified on the basis of characteristic product ions [56,57]. Identification of these conjugates in sample 12A indicates that the food contact material in sample 12 contained bisphenol A-based epoxy resin. The most abundant conjugates were BADGE + BuOEtOH + H2O, BAMGE + BuOEtOH, and BADGE + 2BuOEtOH (Figure S4). This type of contaminant is one of the most common which occurs in traditional can coating material and canned foods (epoxy resin), and there is one prior example of a BADGE conjugates analysis in retort pouches [58].

4. Conclusions

The results of the performed HPLC-MS analysis have shown that non-ionic surfactants, namely nonylphenol ethoxylates and ethoxylated lauryl alcohol, are the main contaminants of high-barrier pouch foodstuffs. Their estimated concentrations in the analyzed samples were rather low; thus, the possible risk for consumer health seems to be also low. The comparison of their concentrations in the coating extracts with those in the content extracts indicated that the coating materials are not the main sources of the content contamination. Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that non-ionic surfactants enter the content at some stage of foodstuff production. On the other hand, the release of these compounds from the coating materials into the content cannot be definitely excluded (the compounds are well soluble probably in each solvent). It is expected that the compounds containing fewer oxyethylene units, being more lipophilic, can better migrate into fat-containing products, whereas the compounds containing more oxyethylene units, being more hydrophilic, can better migrate into fruit products. Other contaminants, e.g., BADGE conjugates or cyclic cooligoesters (typical of canned foodstuffs), were found to rarely occur in high-barrier pouch foodstuffs, and they were detected only in coating extracts. In summary, high-barrier pouch foodstuffs seem to be relatively safe for consumer health. This may be the reason why this type of foodstuff has not yet been widely studied with respect to potential migrants.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/foods14162842/s1, Figure S1: Exemplary ESI mass spectra of longer DDEOn fractions; Figure S2: Single ion chromatograms of [M+NH4]+ ions of cyclic cooligoesters (NPG-AA)n-(NPG-iPA)m identified in sample 5A; Figure S3: Exemplary single ion chromatograms of [M+NH4]+ ions of polypropylene glycol identified in sample 9A. Figure S4: Single ion chromatograms of characteristic product ions and obtained ESI mass spectra (sample 12A) of conjugates of bisphenol A di(mono)glycidyl ether (BAD(M)GE) with butoxyethanol (BuOEtOH); BADGE+BuOEtOH+H2O [M+H]+ m/z 477, BAMGE+BuOEtOH [M+H]+ m/z 402, BADGE+2BuOEtOH [M+H]+ m/z 577.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.B.-B.; methodology, M.B.-B., M.F. and R.F.; formal analysis, M.B.-B., M.F. and R.F.; investigation, M.B.-B., M.F. and R.F.; writing—original draft preparation, M.B.-B. and M.F.; writing—review and editing, M.B.-B., M.F. and R.F.; visualization, M.B.-B., M.F. and R.F.; supervision, M.B.-B. and M.F.; funding acquisition, M.B.-B., M.F. and R.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (0911/SBAD/2504, M.F.).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article/Supplementary Materials. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

  1. Beneito-Cambra, M.; Herrero-Martínez, J.M.; Ramis-Ramos, G. Analytical methods for the characterization and determination of nonionic surfactants in cosmetics and environmental matrices. Anal. Methods 2013, 5, 341–354. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Plata, M.R.; Contento, A.M.; Ríos, Á. Analytical characterization of alcohol-ethoxylate substances by instrumental separation techniques. Trends Anal. Chem. 2011, 30, 1018–1034. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Ali, A.A.; Bhat, G.; Al-Ghamdi, I.; Cao, W.; Kumar, A.; Iali, W.; Narayan, K.C.; Ghazwani, Q. A systematic derivatization technique for characterization of ethoxylates by GC and GCMS. J. Surfactants Deterg. 2024, 27, 605–612. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Lalonde, B.; Garron, C. Nonylphenol, octylphenol, and nonylphenol ethoxylates dissemination in the Canadian freshwater environment. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 2021, 80, 319–330. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Ahmed, M.S.; Rafiquzzaman, M. Determination of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates in some of the textile wastewater samples in Dhaka division, Bangladesh. J. Chem. Health Risks 2023, 13, 249–257. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Lara-Martín, P.A.; Petrovic, M.; Gómez-Parra, A.; Barceló, D.; González-Mazo, E. Presence of surfactants and their degradation intermediates in sediment cores and grabs from the Cadiz Bay area. Environ. Pollut. 2006, 144, 483–491. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  7. Sparham, C.; Rehman, N.; Melling, J.; Van Duynhoven, J.; Marshall, S. Biodegradability of highly ethoxylated nonionic surfactants: Determination of intermediates and pathways of biodegradation. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2008, 27, 1069–1076. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  8. Van de Plassche, E.J.; de Bruijn, J.H.; Stephenson, R.R.; Marshall, S.J.; Feijtel, T.C.; Belanger, S.E. Predicted no-effect concentrations and risk characterization of four surfactants: Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, alcohol ethoxylates, alcohol ethoxylated sulfates, and soap. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 1999, 18, 2653–2663. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Garcia, V.S.G.; Tominaga, F.K.; Rosa, J.M.; Borrely, S.I. Emerging pollutants in textile wastewater: An ecotoxicological assessment focusing on surfactants. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2024, 31, 27817–27828. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. Mahalakshmi, R.; Pugazhendhi, A.; Brindhadevi, K.; Ramesh, N. Analysis of alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) from tannery sediments using LC-MS and their environmental risks. Process Biochem. 2020, 97, 37–42. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Korsman, J.C.; Schipper, A.M.; de Vos, M.G.; van den Heuvel-Greve, M.J.; Vethaak, A.D.; de Voogt, P.; Hendriks, A.J. Modeling bioaccumulation and biomagnification of nonylphenol and its ethoxylates in estuarine-marine food chains. Chemosphere 2015, 138, 33–39. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  12. De la Parra-Guerra, A.C.; Acevedo-Barrios, R. Studies of endocrine disruptors: Nonylphenol and isomers in biological models. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2023, 42, 1439–1450. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  13. Zhao, Y.; Ji, J.; Wu, Y.; Chen, S.; Xu, M.; Cao, X.; Liu, H.; Wang, Z.; Bi, H.; Guan, G.; et al. Nonylphenol and its derivatives: Environmental distribution, treatment strategy, management and future perspectives. Chemosphere 2024, 352, 141377. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  14. Chung, S.W. The development of isomer-specific analysis of branched 4-nonylphenol in food for dietary exposure-a critical review of analytical methods and occurrence in foodstuffs. Food Addit. Contam. Part A 2021, 38, 842–855. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  15. Farhat, J.; Mokbel, I.; Bassil, G.; Sari-Ali, B.F.; Negadi, L.; Jose, J.; Saab, J. Experimental and predicted aqueous solubility and vapor pressures of food packaging migrants: 4-n-octylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol and 4-n-nonylphenol. J. Chem. Thermodyn. 2025, 201, 107410. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Fernandes, A.R.; Rose, M.; Charlton, C. 4-Nonylphenol (NP) in food-contact materials: Analytical methodology and occurrence. Food Addit. Contam. 2008, 25, 364–372. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Li, C.-T.; Cheng, C.-Y.; Ding, W.-H. Determination of alkylphenol residues in baby-food purees by steam distillation extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Food Chem. Toxicol. 2008, 46, 803–807. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Al Rashed, N.; Gerlach, C.; Guenther, K. Determination of nonylphenol in selected foods and identification of single isomers in a coffee sample by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry. Anal. Lett. 2023, 56, 2586–2604. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Lee, S.M.; Cheong, D.; Kim, M.; Kim, Y.-S. Analysis of endocrine disrupting nonylphenols in foods by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Foods 2023, 12, 269. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  20. Guenther, K.; Heinke, V.; Thiele, B.; Kleist, E.; Prast, H.; Raecker, T. Endocrine disrupting nonylphenols are ubiquitous in food. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2002, 36, 1676–1680. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Günther, K.; Räcker, T.; Böhme, R. An isomer-specific approach to endocrine-disrupting nonylphenol in infant food. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2017, 65, 1247–1254. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  22. Casajuana, N.; Lacorte, S. New methodology for the determination of phthalate esters, bisphenol A, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, and nonylphenol in commercial whole milk samples. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2004, 52, 3702–3707. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  23. Lu, J.; Wu, J.; Stoffella, P.J.; Wilson, P.C. Analysis of bisphenol A, nonylphenol, and natural estrogens in vegetables and fruits using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2013, 61, 84–89. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  24. Deng, H.; Su, X.; Wang, H. Simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B1, bisphenol A, and 4-nonylphenol in peanut oils by liquid-liquid extraction combined with solid-phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Food Anal. Methods 2018, 11, 1303–1311. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  25. Loyo-Rosales, J.E.; Rosales-Rivera, G.C.; Lynch, A.M.; Rice, C.P.; Torrents, A. Migration of nonylphenol from plastic containers to water and a milk surrogate. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2004, 52, 2016–2020. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  26. Li, C.; Jin, F.; Snyder, S.A. Recent advancements and future trends in analysis of nonylphenol ethoxylates and their degradation product nonylphenol in food and environment. Trends Anal. Chem. 2018, 107, 78–90. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Jiang, Z.-J.; Cao, X.-L.; Li, H.; Zhang, C.; Abd El-Aty, A.M.; Jin, F.; Shao, H.; Jin, M.-J.; Wang, S.-S.; She, Y.-X.; et al. Fast determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates in leafy vegetables using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method and ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J. Chromatogr. A 2017, 1525, 161–172. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  28. She, Y.; Wang, J.; Zheng, Y.; Cao, W.; Wang, R.; Dong, F.; Liu, X.; Qian, M.; Zhang, H.; Wu, L. Determination of nonylphenol ethoxylate metabolites in vegetables and crops by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Food Chem. 2012, 132, 502–507. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Cai, Q.-Y.; Huang, H.-J.; Lü, H.; Mo, C.-H.; Zhang, J.; Zeng, Q.-Y.; Tian, J.-J.; Li, Y.-W.; Wu, X.-L. Occurrence of nonylphenol and nonylphenol monoethoxylate in soil and vegetables from vegetable farms in the Pearl River Delta, South China. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 2012, 63, 22–28. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Chen, J.; Mullin, C.A. Determination of nonylphenol ethoxylate and octylphenol ethoxylate surfactants in beehive samples by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Food Chem. 2014, 158, 473–479. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Barahona, F.; Turiel, E.; Martín-Esteban, A. Determination of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates in powdered milk infant formula by HPLC-FL. J. Chromatogr. Sci. 2011, 49, 243–248. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  32. Viñas, P.; Pastor-Belda, M.; Torres, A.; Campillo, N.; Hernández-Córdoba, M. Use of oleic-acid functionalized nanoparticles for the magnetic solid-phase microextraction of alkylphenols in fruit juices using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 2016, 151, 217–223. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  33. Al Rashed, N.; Guenther, K. Determination of endocrine-disrupting nonylphenols and nonylphenol carboxylates by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: Levels in German food after restriction. Anal. Lett. 2022, 55, 634–647. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  34. Albahr, Z.; Ganjyal, G.M.; Tang, J.; Sablani, S.S. Storage stability of selected vegetable purees in high barrier pouches processed with pressure-assisted thermal sterilization. J. Food Process Eng. 2025, 48, e70137. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  35. Haque, M.A.; Peterson, A.M.; Froio-Blumsack, D.; Ratto, J.A.; Chen, W.T. Exploring acidic sauce permeation on high-barrier packaging film properties. Packag. Technol. Sci. 2025, 38, 407–423. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  36. Parhi, A.; Maya, D.; Sablani, S.S. Pioneering high barrier packaging for pressure assisted thermal sterilization of low-acid food products. Food Res. Int. 2024, 196, 115126. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  37. Patel, J.; Parhi, A.; Tang, Z.; Tang, J.; Sablani, S.S. Storage stability of vitamin C fortified purple mashed potatoes processed with microwave-assisted thermal sterilization system. Food Innov. Adv. 2023, 2, 106–114. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  38. Al-Ghamdi, S.; Sonar, C.R.; Albahr, Z.; Alqahtani, O.; Collins, B.A.; Sablani, S.S. Pressure-assisted thermal sterilization of avocado puree in high barrier polymeric packaging. LWT 2022, 155, 112960. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  39. Dunno, K.D.; Whiteside, S.; Thomas, R.; Cooksey, K.; Gerard, P. Effects of transportation hazards on barrier properties of gas flushed retort pouches. Packag. Technol. Sci. 2016, 29, 431–436. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  40. Martín, M.P.; Nepote, V.; Grosso, N.R. Chemical, sensory, and microbiological stability of stored raw peanuts packaged in polypropylene ventilated bags and high barrier plastic bags. LWT 2016, 68, 174–182. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  41. Henríquez, C.; Córdova, A.; Lutz, M.; Saavedra, J. Storage stability test of apple peel powder using two packaging materials: High-density polyethylene and metalized films of high barrier. Ind. Crops Prod. 2013, 45, 121–127. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  42. Mexis, S.F.; Riganakos, K.A.; Kontominas, M.G. Effect of irradiation, active and modified atmosphere packaging, container oxygen barrier and storage conditions on the physicochemical and sensory properties of raw unpeeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis). J. Sci. Food Agric. 2011, 91, 634–649. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  43. Ayvaz, H.; Schirmer, S.; Parulekar, Y.; Balasubramaniam, V.M.; Somerville, J.A.; Daryaei, H. Influence of selected packaging materials on some quality aspects of pressure-assisted thermally processed carrots during storage. LWT 2012, 46, 437–447. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  44. Mahalingaiah, L.; Venkateshaiah, B.V.; Kulkarni, S.; Rao, K.J. Study on the effect of packaging materials on the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory quality of kunda. J. Food Sci. Technol. 2014, 51, 1000–1005. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  45. Zhang, N.; Scarsella, J.B.; Hartman, T.G. Identification and quantitation studies of migrants from BPA alternative food-contact metal can coatings. Polymers 2020, 12, 2846. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  46. Arvanitoyannis, I.S.; Kotsanopoulos, K.V. Migration phenomenon in food packaging. Food–package interactions, mechanisms, types of migrants, testing and relative legislation—A review. Food Bioprocess Technol. 2014, 7, 21–36. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  47. Oldring, P.K.T.; Castle, L.; Hart, A.; Holmes, M.J. Migrants from food cans revisited–application of a stochastic model for a more realistic assessment of exposure to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE). Packag. Technol. Sci. 2006, 19, 121–137. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  48. Vázquez Loureiro, P.; Lestido-Cardama, A.; Sendón, R.; Bustos, J.; Paseiro Losada, P.; Rodríguez Bernaldo de Quirós, A. Identification of potential migrants from epoxy and organosol coatings used in metal food cans. Food Addit. Contam. Part A 2023, 40, 597–611. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  49. Frańska, M.; Ginter-Kramarczyk, D.; Szymański, A.; Kozik, T.; Frański, R. Resistance of alkylphenol ethoxylate containing six ethoxylene units to biodegradation under the conditions of OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) screening test. Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad. 2009, 63, 1066–1069. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  50. Fonseca-Corona, C.; Vera-Avila, L.E.; Gallegos-Pérez, J.L. Use of mass spectrometry for identification and quantitation of tensoactive agents in synthetic latex samples. J. Mex. Chem. Soc. 2014, 58, 444–451. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  51. Amelin, V.G.; Bol’shakov, D.S. Identification and determination of nonionic surfactants by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Chem. 2021, 76, 226–242. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  52. Beszterda-Buszczak, M.; Frański, R. Oligoester identification in the inner coatings of metallic cans by high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with cone voltage-induced fragmentation. Materials 2024, 17, 2771. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  53. Cariou, R.; Riviére, M.; Hutinet, S.; Tebbaa, A.; Dubreuil, D.; Mathé-Allainmat, M.; Lebreton, J.; Le Bizec, B.; Tessier, A.; Dervilly, G. Thorough investigation of non-volatile substances extractible from inner coatings of metallic cans and their occurrence in the canned vegetables. J. Hazard. Mater. 2022, 435, 129026. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  54. Lestido-Cardama, A.; Vázquez-Loureiro, P.; Sendón, R.; Bustos, J.; Santillana, M.I.; Paseiro Losada, P.; Rodríguez Bernaldo de Quirós, A. Characterization of polyester coatings intended for food contact by different analytical techniques and migration testing by LC-MSn. Polymers 2022, 14, 487. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  55. Zar, T.; Graeber, C.; Perazella, M.A. Reviews: Recognition, treatment, and prevention of propylene glycol toxicity. Semin. Dial. 2007, 20, 217–219. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  56. Beszterda-Buszczak, M.; Kasperkowiak, M.; Teżyk, A.; Augustynowicz, N.; Frański, R. Mass spectrometric study of the most common potential migrants extractible from the inner coatings of metallic beverage cans. Foods 2024, 13, 2025. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  57. Lestido-Cardama, A.; Sendón, R.; Rodríguez Bernaldo de Quirós, A. Tentative identification of BADGE derivatives in epoxy type coatings in a model sample: A beverage can. J. Coat. Technol. Res. 2022, 19, 1893–1900. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  58. Uematsu, Y.; Ogimoto, M.; Kabashima, J.; Suzuki, K.; Kaneko, R.; Funayama, K.; Haneishi, N.; Yasuno, T.; Ogino, S. Simulation of migration from a multi-layer laminated film intended for retort foods. J. Food Hyg. Soc. Jpn. 2005, 46, 133–138. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Foods 14 02842 g001
Figure 1. Exemplary single ion chromatograms of [M+Na]+ ions obtained upon HPLC-MS analysis of content extracts of sample 7B. [NPEO4+Na]+ m/z 419, [NPEO5+Na]+ m/z 463, [NPEO6+Na]+ m/z 507 (a); [DDEO5+Na]+ m/z 429, [DDEO6+Na]+ m/z 473, [DDEO7+Na]+ m/z 517 (b).
Figure 1. Exemplary single ion chromatograms of [M+Na]+ ions obtained upon HPLC-MS analysis of content extracts of sample 7B. [NPEO4+Na]+ m/z 419, [NPEO5+Na]+ m/z 463, [NPEO6+Na]+ m/z 507 (a); [DDEO5+Na]+ m/z 429, [DDEO6+Na]+ m/z 473, [DDEO7+Na]+ m/z 517 (b).
Foods 14 02842 g001
Foods 14 02842 g002
Figure 2. Exemplary ESI mass spectra obtained upon HPLC-MS analysis of content extract of sample 7B (CV = 50 V). (a) [NPEOn+Na]+-m/z 419 + (44)n, [NPEOn+NH4]+-m/z 458 + (44)n, [NPEOn+H]+-m/z 441 + (44)n; (b) [DDEOn+Na]+-m/z 341 + (44)n, [DDEOn+NH4]+-m/z 458 + (44)n, [DDEOn+H]+-m/z 341 + (44)n.
Figure 2. Exemplary ESI mass spectra obtained upon HPLC-MS analysis of content extract of sample 7B (CV = 50 V). (a) [NPEOn+Na]+-m/z 419 + (44)n, [NPEOn+NH4]+-m/z 458 + (44)n, [NPEOn+H]+-m/z 441 + (44)n; (b) [DDEOn+Na]+-m/z 341 + (44)n, [DDEOn+NH4]+-m/z 458 + (44)n, [DDEOn+H]+-m/z 341 + (44)n.
Foods 14 02842 g002
Foods 14 02842 g003
Figure 3. The estimated concentrations (μg/mL) of NPEOn (a) and DDEOn (b) in the coating extracts (1A–12A, green) and content extracts (1B–12B, red).
Figure 3. The estimated concentrations (μg/mL) of NPEOn (a) and DDEOn (b) in the coating extracts (1A–12A, green) and content extracts (1B–12B, red).
Foods 14 02842 g003
Foods 14 02842 g004
Figure 4. The estimated concentrations (μg/mL) of longer DDEOn fractions in samples 7A/7B, 8A, and 9A (green—coating extracts; red—content extracts).
Figure 4. The estimated concentrations (μg/mL) of longer DDEOn fractions in samples 7A/7B, 8A, and 9A (green—coating extracts; red—content extracts).
Foods 14 02842 g004
Foods 14 02842 g005
Figure 5. The relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for NPEOn molecules detected in samples 1A–12A (coating extracts) and 1B–12B (content extracts).
Figure 5. The relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for NPEOn molecules detected in samples 1A–12A (coating extracts) and 1B–12B (content extracts).
Foods 14 02842 g005
Foods 14 02842 g006
Figure 6. The relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for DDEOn molecules, detected in samples 1A–12A (coating extracts) and 1B–12B (content extracts).
Figure 6. The relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for DDEOn molecules, detected in samples 1A–12A (coating extracts) and 1B–12B (content extracts).
Foods 14 02842 g006
Foods 14 02842 g007
Figure 7. The relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for longer-fraction DDEOn molecules.
Figure 7. The relative abundances of [M+Na]+ ions, where M stands for longer-fraction DDEOn molecules.
Foods 14 02842 g007
Table 1. List of analyzed high-barrier pouch samples: A—coating extracts; B—content extracts.
Table 1. List of analyzed high-barrier pouch samples: A—coating extracts; B—content extracts.
SampleDescriptionPackaging TypeProtein (%)Fat (%)Ingredients
1A, 1BFruit pureeSpouted high-barrier pouch<0.5<0.5Apple, banana, lemon juice, ascorbic acid
2A, 2BFruit pureeSpouted high-barrier pouch0.50.4Apple, peach, mango, ascorbic acid
3A, 3BFruit pureeSpouted high-barrier pouch1.61.1Banana, mango, yoghurt (milk, water, skimmed milk powder, pectin, milk yoghurt cultures), water, rice flour, oat flour, lemon juice, ascorbic acid
4A, 4BTomato pureeRetort pouch1.30Tomato purée, salt
5A, 5BMustardSpouted high-barrier pouch6.97.8Water, mustard seed, sugar, white mustard seed, mustard powder, table salt, acetic acid, refined deodorized sunflower oil, curcumin, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, mustard flavor, sodium metabisulfite, paprika extract, ground cloves, turmeric extract
6A, 6BHungarian goulash soupRetort pouch3.61.6Water, paprika, potatoes, onion, pork, modified starch, tomato concentrate, wheat flour, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, yeast extract, sodium ascorbate
7A, 7BKetchupSpouted high-barrier pouch1.20Water, tomato paste, sugar, modified corn starch, salt, acetic acid, sweet paprika, onion, garlic, chili pepper, potassium sorbate, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves
8A, 8BRoasted coffee beansMultilayer bag with degassing valve00Roasted Arabica coffee beans
9A, 9BRoasted coffee beans—BagdripHigh-barrier pouch/filter paper00Roasted Arabica coffee beans
10A, 10BFreeze-dried fruit smoothieHigh-barrier pouch5.92.0Apple, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, nettle, ginger
11A, 11BFreeze-dried granola with strawberriesHigh-barrier zipper pouch115.1Gluten-free oatmeal, agave syrup, strawberry, cocoa
12A, 12BFreeze-dried wholemeal breadRetort pouch5.21.2Wholemeal rye flour, water, salt, yeast
Table 2. Other kinds of potential migrants detected.
Table 2. Other kinds of potential migrants detected.
SamplePotential Migrants
5ACyclic cooligoesters, (NPG-AA)n-(NPG-iPA)m, n, m = 0–5
9APolypropylene glycol, HO-(CH2-CH(CH3)-O)n-H, n = 4–15
12ABAD(M)GE conjugates
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Beszterda-Buszczak, M.; Frańska, M.; Frański, R. HPLC-MS Detection of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Lauryl Ethoxylates in Foodstuffs and the Inner Coatings of High-Barrier Pouches. Foods 2025, 14, 2842. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162842

AMA Style

Beszterda-Buszczak M, Frańska M, Frański R. HPLC-MS Detection of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Lauryl Ethoxylates in Foodstuffs and the Inner Coatings of High-Barrier Pouches. Foods. 2025; 14(16):2842. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162842

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beszterda-Buszczak, Monika, Magdalena Frańska, and Rafał Frański. 2025. "HPLC-MS Detection of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Lauryl Ethoxylates in Foodstuffs and the Inner Coatings of High-Barrier Pouches" Foods 14, no. 16: 2842. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162842

APA Style

Beszterda-Buszczak, M., Frańska, M., & Frański, R. (2025). HPLC-MS Detection of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Lauryl Ethoxylates in Foodstuffs and the Inner Coatings of High-Barrier Pouches. Foods, 14(16), 2842. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162842

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop