Safety assessment of the substance N,N′‐(2‐(4‐(2‐aminobenzamido)butyl)pentane‐1,5‐diyl)bis(2‐aminobenzamide) for use in plastic food contact materials

TL;DR

The paper evaluates the safety of a substance used in plastic food containers and concludes it is safe for most uses but not for infant formula.

Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive safety assessment of a new additive in food contact materials, including genotoxicity and migration analysis.

Findings

The substance's migration into food simulants was below safety thresholds.

Genotoxicity concerns were ruled out for the substance and most impurities.

A by-product was identified as potentially mutagenic but exposure remains below safety limits.

Abstract

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials assessed the safety of N,N′‐(2‐(4‐(2‐aminobenzamido)butyl)pentane‐1,5‐diyl)bis(2‐aminobenzamide) to be used at up to 650 mg/kg in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to scavenge acetaldehyde (AA). Final articles are intended for contact with aqueous, acidic and low‐alcoholic beverages for long‐term storage at room temperature and below. The migration of the substance from PET bottles into 20% ethanol was 0.0038 mg/kg food. The Panel calculated the potential migration of the summed reaction products not to exceed 0.02 mg/kg food. From experimental studies, the Panel excluded genotoxicity concerns for the substance, for 2‐aminobenzamide +1 formaldehyde and 2‐aminobenzamide +1 AA, both with desaturation. In silico predictions, previous EFSA evaluations and the use of the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) excluded genotoxicity concerns for 15 other impurities/reaction products. A tentatively identified by‐product was predicted as possible DNA‐reactive in vitro mutagen and clastogen, due to its aromatic hydroxylamine group. Its modelled migration would not exceed 0.14 μg/kg food, leading to a potential exposure below the TTC of 0.0025 μg/kg body weight per day. Non‐identified reaction products are expected to be structurally related to the identified ones and, hence, not to raise concern for genotoxicity. The Panel concluded that the substance is not of safety concern for the consumer, if it is used as an additive at up to 650 mg/kg in PET intended for contact with foods simulated by simulants A, B and C, for storage above 6 months at room temperature and below, including hot‐fill conditions and/or heating up to 70°C ≤ T ≤ 100°C for maximum t = 120/2((T−70)/10) minutes. The substance should not be used for infant formula (including water used for reconstitution) and human milk. The migration of the substance should not exceed 0.05 mg/kg food. The substance should not contain aromatic hydroxylamine derivatives at more than 0.15% w/w.

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