Supermarket Food-Label Glue Concern

24th May 2010 – Research published by the Royal Society of Chemistry says that adhesives used to stick labels onto food can seep through packaging and contaminate the contents.

There are EU regulations about the use of plastics in food packaging. All materials that come into contact with food must comply with these, but the researchers say there is nothing yet about the chemicals used to put the labels onto packs.

Spanish scientists studied compounds in acrylic adhesives, and found that some chemicals can get through the packaging and reach the food inside. One of those is classed as highly toxic and found in high concentration in some adhesives.

The study

The scientists placed a layer containing the adhesive on to a layer of packaging material (polymer or paper) that covered a simulated food. Analysis of the layers – using mass spectrometry – determined whether, and how far, any chemicals had diffused through. Chemicals can seep from the sticky labels to the food based on many factors, including the type of food, time, temperature and other structural properties.

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