Examination of styrene-divinylbenzene ion exchange resins, used in contact with food, for potential migrants

John Andrew Sidwell (1) , Bryan Willoughby (2)

1 Analytical
2 Rapra Technology Ltd

This study has investigated the nature of extractable substances from five types of styrene-divinylbenzene ion exchange resins used in the preparation of foodstuffs. Resins examined included strong acid cation resins, strong and weak base anion resins and an active carbon replacement resin. These resins are used for a variety of purposes including water softening, decalcification of sugar syrups, demineralisation, removal of nitrate ions from water and decolourisation. The research utilised liquid chromatography with detection by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and also gas chromatography/mass spectrometry based methodologies. Extractable substances from new resins were identified as mainly being by-products of the resin manufacturing process. Levels of extractable substances decreased with washing.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

John Andrew Sidwell, Bryan Willoughby. Examination of styrene-divinylbenzene ion exchange resins, used in contact with food, for potential migrants. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2006, 23 (07), pp.726-737. ⟨10.1080/02652030600576189⟩. ⟨hal-00577289⟩