§ 176.170 - Components of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods.

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Substances identified in this section may be safely used as components of the uncoated or coated food-contact surface of paper and paperboard intended for use in producing, manufacturing, packaging, processing, preparing, treating, packing, transporting, or holding aqueous and fatty foods, subject to the provisions of this section. Components of paper and paperboard in contact with dry food of the type identified under Type VIII of table 1 in paragraph (c) of this section are subject to the provisions of § 176.180.

Substances identified in paragraph (a) (1) through (5) of this section may be used as components of the food-contact surface of paper and paperboard. Paper and paperboard products shall be exempted from compliance with the extractives limitations prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section: Provided, That the components of the food-contact surface consist entirely of one or more of the substances identified in this paragraph: And provided further, That if the paper or paperboard when extracted under the conditions prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section exceeds the limitations on extractives contained in paragraph (c) of this section, information shall be available from manufacturing records from which it is possible to determine that only substances identified in this paragraph (a) are present in the food-contact surface of such paper or paperboard.

Substances generally recognized as safe in food.

Substances generally recognized as safe for their intended use in paper and paperboard products used in food packaging.

Substances used in accordance with a prior sanction or approval.

Substances that by regulation in parts 170 through 189 of this chapter may be safely used without extractives limitations as components of the uncoated or coated food-contact surface of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous or fatty food, subject to the provisions of such regulation.

Substances identified in this paragraph, as follows:

Substances identified in paragraphs (b) (1) and (2) of this section may be used as components of the food-contact surface of paper and paperboard, provided that the food-contact surface of the paper or paperboard complies with the extractives limitations prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

Substances identified in § 175.300(b)(3) of this chapter with the exception of those identified in paragraphs (b)(3) (v), (xv), (xx), (xxvi), (xxxi), and (xxxii) of that section and paragraph (a) of this section.

Substances identified in this paragraph (b)(2) follow:

The food-contact surface of the paper and paperboard in the finished form in which it is to contact food, when extracted with the solvent or solvents characterizing the type of food, and under conditions of time and temperature characterizing the conditions of its intended use as determined from tables 1 and 2 of this paragraph, shall yield net chloroform-soluble extractives (corrected for wax, petrolatum, mineral oil and zinc extractives as zinc oleate) not to exceed 0.5 milligram per square inch of food-contact surface as determined by the methods described in paragraph (d) of this section.

Analytical methods—(1) Selection of extractability conditions. First ascertain the type of food product (table 1, paragraph (c) of this section) that is being packed commercially in the paper or paperboard and the normal conditions of thermal treatment used in packaging the type of food involved. Using table 2, paragraph (c) of this section, select the food-simulating solvent or solvents and the time-temperature exaggerations of the paper or paperboard use conditions. Having selected the appropriate food-simulating solvent or solvents and the time-temperature exaggeration over normal use, follow the applicable extraction procedure.

Reagents—(i) Water. All water used in extraction procedures should be freshly demineralized (deionized) distilled water.

n-Heptane. Reagent grade, freshly redistilled before use, using only material boiling at 208 °F.

Alcohol. 8 or 50 percent (by volume), prepared from undenatured 95 percent ethyl alcohol diluted with demineralized (deionized) distilled water.

Chloroform. Reagent grade, freshly redistilled before use, or a grade having an established consistently low blank.

Selection of test method. Paper or paperboard ready for use in packaging shall be tested by use of the extraction cell described in “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” 13th Ed. (1980), sections 21.010-21.015, under “Exposing Flexible Barrier Materials for Extraction,” which is incorporated by reference (Copies may be obtained from the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.); also described in ASTM method F34-76 (Reapproved 1980), “Standard Test Method for Liquid Extraction of Flexible Barrier Materials,” which is incorporated by reference (copies may be obtained from the American Society for Testing Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, Philadelphia, PA 19428-2959, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.), except that formed paper and paperboard products may be tested in the container by adapting the in-container methods described in § 175.300(e) of this chapter. Formed paper and paperboard products such as containers and lids, that cannot be tested satisfactorily by any of the above methods may be tested in specially designed extraction equipment, usually consisting of clamping devices that fit the closure or container so that the food-contact surface can be tested, or, if flat samples can be cut from the formed paper or paperboard products without destroying the integrity of the food-contact surface, they may be tested by adapting the following “sandwich” method:

Apparatus. (a) Thermostated (±1.0 °F) water bath, variable between 70 °F and 120 °F water bath cover capable of holding at least one 800-milliliter beaker partially submersed in bath.

Analytical balance sensitive to 0.1 milligram with an approximate capacity of 100 grams.

Tongs.

Hood and hot-plate facilities.

Forced draft oven.

One No. 2 paper clip.

One 800-milliliter beaker with watch-glass cover.

One 250-milliliter beaker.

Five 21/2-inch-square aluminum screens (standard aluminum window screening is acceptable).

One wire capable of supporting sample stack.

Procedure. (a) For each extraction, accurately cut eight 21/2-inch-square samples from the formed paper or paperboard product to be tested.

Carefully stack the eight 21/2-inch-square samples and the five 21/2-inch-square aluminum screens in sandwich form such that the food-contact side of each sample is always next to an aluminum screen, as follows: Screen, sample, sample, screen, sample, sample, screen, etc. Clip the sandwich together carefully with a No. 2 paper clip, leaving just enough space at the top to slip a wire through.

Place an 800-milliliter beaker containing 100-milliliters of the appropriate food-simulating solvent into the constant temperature bath, cover with a watch glass and condition at the desired temperature.

After conditioning, carefully lower the sample sandwich with tongs into the beaker.

At the end of the extraction period, using the tongs, carefully lift out the sample sandwich and hang it over the beaker with the wire.

After draining, pour the food-simulating solvent solution into a tared 250-milliliter beaker. Rinse the 800-milliliter beaker three times, using a total of not more than 50 milliliters of the required solvent.

Determine total nonvolatile extractives in accordance with paragraph (d)(5) of this section.

Selection of samples. Quadruplicate samples should be tested, using for each replicate sample the number of cups, containers, or preformed or converted products nearest to an area of 100 square inches.

Determination of amount of extractives—(i) Total residues. At the end of the exposure period, remove the test container or test cell from the oven and combine the solvent for each replicate in a clean Pyrex (or equivalent) flask or beaker being sure to rinse the test container or cell with a small quantity of clean solvent. Evaporate the food-simulating solvents to about 100 milliliters in the flask or beaker, and transfer to a clean, tared evaporating dish (platinum or Pyrex), washing the flask three times with small portions of solvent used in the extraction procedure, and evaporate to a few milliliters on a nonsparking, low-temperature hotplate. The last few milliliters should be evaporated in an oven maintained at a temperature of approximately 221 °F. Cool the evaporating dish in a desiccator for 30 minutes and weigh the residue to the nearest 0.1 milligram, (e). Calculate the extractives in milligrams per square inch of the container or sheeted paper or paperboard surface.

Water and 8- and 50-percent alcohol. Milligrams extractives per square inch = (e)/(s).

Heptane. Milligrams extractives per square inch=(e)/(s)(F)

Chloroform-soluble extractives residue. Add 50 milliliters of chloroform (freshly distilled reagent grade or a grade having an established consistently low blank) to the dried and weighed residue, (e), in the evaporating dish obtained in paragraph (d)(5)(i) of this section. Warm carefully, and filter through Whatman No. 41 filter paper (or equivalent) in a Pyrex (or equivalent) funnel, collecting the filtrate in a clean, tared evaporating dish (platinum or Pyrex). Repeat the chloroform extraction, washing the filter paper with this second portion of chloroform. Add this filtrate to the original filtrate and evaporate the total down to a few milliliters on a low-temperature hotplate. The last few milliliters should be evaporated in an oven maintained at approximately 221 °F. Cool the evaporating dish in a desiccator for 30 minutes and weigh to the nearest 0.1 milligram to get the chloroform-soluble extractives residue (′). This ′ is substituted for e in the equations in paragraph (d)(5)(i) (a) and (b) of this section. If the chloroform-soluble extractives in milligrams per square inch still exceeds the limitation prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section, proceed to paragraph (d)(5)(iii) of this section (method for determining corrected chloroform-soluble extractives residue).

Corrected chloroform-soluble extractives residue—(a) Correction for zinc extractives. Ash the residue in the evaporating dish by heating gently over a Meker-type burner to destroy organic matter and hold at red heat for about 1 minute. Cool in the air for 3 minutes, and place the evaporating dish in the desiccator for 30 minutes and weigh to the nearest 0.1 milligram. Analyze this ash for zinc by standard Association of Official Agricultural Chemists methods or equivalent. Calculate the zinc in the ash as zinc oleate, and subtract from the weight of chloroform-soluble extractives residue (′) to obtain the zinc-corrected chloroform-soluble extractives residue (e′). This e′ is substituted for e in the equations in paragraph (d)(5)(i) (a) and (b) of this section.

Correction for wax, petrolatum, and mineral oil—(1) Apparatus. Standard 10 millimeter inside diameter × 60 centimeter chromatographic column (or standard 50-milliliter buret with an inside diameter of 10-11 millimeters) with a stopcock of glass, perfluorocarbon resin, or equivalent material. The column (or buret) may be optionally equipped with an integral coarse, fritted glass disc and the top of the column (or buret) may be optionally fitted with a 100-millimeter solvent reservoir.

Preparation of column. Place a snug pledget of fine glass wool in the bottom of the column (or buret) if the column (or buret) is not equipped with integral coarse, fritted glass disc. Overlay the glass wool pledget (or fritted glass disc) with a 15-20 millimeter deep layer of fine sand. Measure in a graduated cylinder 15 milliliters of chromatographic grade aluminum oxide (80-200 mesh) that has been tightly settled by tapping the cylinder. Transfer the aluminum oxide to the chromatographic tube, tapping the tube during and after the transfer so as to tightly settle the aluminum oxide. Overlay the layer of aluminum oxide with a 1.0-1.5 centimeter deep layer of anhydrous sodium sulfate and on top of this place an 8-10 millimeter thick plug of fine glass wool. Next carefully add about 25 milliliters of heptane to the column with stopcock open, and allow the heptane to pass through the column until the top level of the liquid just passes into the top glass wool plug in the column, and close stopcock.

Chromatographing of sample extract—(i) For chloroform residues weighing 0.5 gram or less. To the dried and weighed chloroform-soluble extract residue in the evaporating dish, obtained in paragraph (d)(5)(ii) of this section, add 20 milliliters of heptane and stir. If necessary, heat carefully to dissolve the residue. Additional heptane not to exceed a total volume of 50 milliliters may be used if necessary to complete dissolving. Cool to room temperature. (If solution becomes cloudy, use the procedure in paragraph (d)(5)(iii)(b)(3)(ii) of this section to obtain an aliquot of heptane solution calculated to contain 0.1-0.5 gram of chloroform-soluble extract residue.) Transfer the clear liquid solution to the column (or buret). Rinse the dish with 10 millimeters of additional heptane and add to column. Allow the liquid to pass through the column into a clean, tared evaporating dish (platinum or Pyrex) at a dropwise rate of about 2 milliliters per minute until the liquid surface reaches the top glass wool plug; then close the stopcock temporarily. Rinse the Pyrex flask which contained the filtrate with an additional 10-15 milliliters of heptane and add to the column. Wash (elute) the column with more heptane collecting about 100 milliliters of total eluate including that already collected in the evaporating dish. Evaporate the combined eluate in the evaporating dish to dryness on a steam bath. Dry the residue for 15 minutes in an oven maintained at a temperature of approximately 221 °F. Cool the evaporating dish in a desiccator for 30 minutes and weigh the residue to the nearest 0.1 milligram. Subtract the weight of the residue from the weight of chloroform-soluble extractives residue (′) to obtain the wax-, petrolatum-, and mineral oil-corrected chloroform-soluble extractives residue (e′). This e′ is substituted for e in the equations in paragraph (d)(5)(i) (a) and (b) of this section.

For chloroform residues weighing more than 0.5 gram. Redissolve the dried and weighed chloroform-soluble extract residue as described in paragraph (d)(5)(iii)(b)(3)(i) of this section using proportionately larger quantities of heptane. Transfer the heptane solution to an appropriate-sized volumetric flask (i.e., a 250-milliliter flask for about 2.5 grams of residue) and adjust to volume with additional heptane. Pipette out an aliquot (about 50 milliliters) calculated to contain 0.1-0.5 gram of the chloroform-soluble extract residue and analyze chromatographically as described in paragraph (d)(5)(iii)(b)(3)(i) of this section. In this case the weight of the dried residue from the heptane eluate must be multiplied by the dilution factor to obtain the weight of wax, petrolatum, and mineral oil residue to be subtracted from the weight of chloroform-soluble extractives residue (′) to obtain the wax-, petrolatum-, and mineral oil-corrected chloroform-soluble extractives residue (e′). This e′ is substituted for e in the equations in paragraph (d)(5)(i) (a) and (b) of this section. (Note: In the case of chloroform-soluble extracts which contain high melting waxes (melting point greater than 170 °F), it may be necessary to dilute the heptane solution further so that a 50-milliliter aliquot will contain only 0.1-0.2 gram of the chloroform-soluble extract residue.)

Acrylonitrile copolymers identified in this section shall comply with the provisions of § 180.22 of this chapter, except where the copolymers are restricted to use in contact with food only of the type identified in paragraph (c), table 1 under Category VIII.

For Federal Register citations affecting § 176.170, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.