TECHNOLOGY | ODOUR AND EMISSIONS
Above: Gas chromatogra- phy is one element in Gabriel-Che- mie’s PURE service package for clients wanting maximum
odour security
converter or customer,” Hannah says. “NIAS may originate from break-down products, impurities of raw materials, and unwanted side-products, for example. We focus our efforts on detecting and identifying volatile NIAS in the plastics that could have an impact on the sensory properties. We do this by screening the raw materials with gas chromatography and then testing the finished masterbatch with sensory blind tasting tests. “As a result of intensive communication with plastics converters and leading brands within the food and beverage industry, Gabriel-Chemie has developed PURE - an additional service package that provides complete transparency within the value chain for masterbatch customers and an industry benchmark for organoleptic and food safety issues,” he says. The company launched the package at the
Right: The human nose remains one of the most effective detectors of off-smells and flavours
Fakuma show in Germany last year. “PURE is based on two test methods for incoming and outgoing products,” Hannah says. “The customer receives a complete set of documentation based on the three modules of PURE - NIAS analysis of raw materials using gas chromatography, organoleptic expert analysis and an SML concentration estimate. As well as food packaging, PURE is also suitable for use by converters of medical products and toys.” Gabriel-Chemie is using gas chromatography for in-house analysis of raw materials to test for the existence of NIAS that may cause sensory issues, such as an off-taste. If unknown substances are found in the chromatogram, they are analysed in detail using mass spectroscopy in close coopera- tion with the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Germany. If the detected substances pose a potential sensory risk, the raw material is blocked. Otherwise, when raw materials have been approved and released, production can start and a certificate including a detailed evaluation of the raw materials is issued.
34 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2018
The human experience Gabriel-Chemie says that the human sensory organs are also highly sensitive and serve as a reliable measuring instrument for organoleptic evaluation, which comprises the second module of PURE. After successfully passing the NIAS evalua- tion, the approved raw materials are used to manufacture masterbatch in the test laboratory, from which injection moulded parts are produced. The samples are then stored and treated in selected reference liquids, such as still water from a standardised brand, and the liquids are then blind tested for flavour deviations. A specially trained sensory panel examines and assesses the smell and flavour of the liquids in a complex organoleptic evaluation process lasting several hours. As a result, plastics converters receive a detailed test report and profile in which the organoleptic approval of the products is documented. The combination of professional initial sensory training, regular refresher training and a panel size of approximately ten participants mean that the test is recognised by the market as being statistically significant, adds the company. EU regulation 10/2011 also requires producers
of plastics that come into contact with foodstuffs to control the quantity of ingredients that can migrate into food. Specific migration limits (SML) must be complied with for many of these substances. Gabriel-Chemie says it endeavours to keep the number of substances with an SML in its products as low as possible. However, their presence cannot always be avoided. So to create a rough overview of the quantities to be expected, it establishes an estimate of concentrations of SML-regulated additives in its products in cooperation with suppliers. The supplied concentration information goes beyond legal obligations and facilitates an easier analysis for customers, which can save both time and money.
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PHOTO: GABRIEL-CHEMIE
PHOTO: GABRIEL-CHEMIE
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