Migration of bisphenol A from epoxy-coated cans into food simulants: influence of pH, lipid, sugar, and salt content

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used in the production of food-contact materials. However, BPA can contaminate canned foods posing a major risk to public health. This study examines BPA migration from epoxy resin-lined cans into various food simulants. Sixty new, unused 100 ml cans coated with epoxy resin were filled with various food simulants, namely distilled water, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, glucose solutions (5%, 10%, and 20%), sodium chloride solutions (1%, 5%, and 10%) and pure soybean oil. The cans were heated to 121 °C for 30 min and stored at 40 °C for 10 days. Following this exposure period, the BPA was extracted, reconstituted in acetonitrile, and quantified by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD) with a limit of detection of 6.62 μg/L. The results showed that 3% acetic acid induced a higher level of BPA migration than 10% ethanol. Pure soybean oil produced a higher level of BPA migration than water. BPA migration increased proportionally with salt concentration, whereas the effect of sugar content was less pronounced. BPA migration is strongly influenced by the chemical composition of the food simulant, in particular by acidity and salt content. However, all measured migration levels remain below the specific migration limit of 50 μg/kg set by the European Union.