Radiation Physics and Chemistry 166 (2020): 108520.
Low dose irradiation of fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach is permitted in the U.S. to reduce microorganims; however, there is insufficient data on the effects of low dose irradiation on the plastic packaging for such produce. We investigated the effects of gamma irradiation at 0.5 - 20 kGy on the concentration of four antioxidants: Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite, octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, pentaerythritol tetrakis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate] and tris(nonylphenyl) phosphite; a slip agent (erucamide); and four antioxidant radiolysis products: Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, tris(nonylphenyl) phosphate, and nonylphenol in polyethylene resin. Using accelerated solvent extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we found the concentration of antioxidants decreased as the irradiation dose increased. As the irradiation dose increased to 4 kGy, the major products associated with irradiation treatment increased. Erucamide was not significantly affected at doses less than 20 kGy. The results presented in this paper can assist with the safety evaluations of food packaging materials.
