The Use of Tenax® as a Simulant for the Migration of Contaminants in Dry Foodstuffs: A Review

Packaging materials are found to represent a source of contamination through the migration of substances from the packaging into the foodstuff. As a response to an increasing number of food‐safety issues, research on the migration of chemicals from packaging materials into foodstuffs is being conducted. Moreover, packaging materials are tested for the migration of chemicals through migration experiments, using food simulants. EU Regulation N°10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food specifies the use of the adsorbent poly(2,6‐diphenylphenylene oxide) or Tenax® as a simulant for dry foodstuffs. Already in 2010, Tenax® migration profiles in the temperature range between −18 and 40°C were modelled for some compounds. Since then, numerous studies have been reported on the migration and migration kinetics of a series of contaminants such as alkylbenzenes, antioxidants, fatty acid esters, isothiazolinone biocides, photo‐initiators, mineral oil and phthalates in Tenax®. In some of these studies, the migration to Tenax® has been compared to real foodstuffs or alternative simulants. In this contribution, the performance of Tenax® as food simulant for dry foodstuffs will be discussed, thereby comparing its performance with real foodstuffs and other potential adsorbents that can be used as simulant such as Porapak.