Wines & Vines

May 2015 Packaging Inssue

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70 P R A C T I C A L W I N E R Y & V I N E YA R D May 2015 P A C K A G I N G 78 Fate of sulfur fungicide in the vineyard and beyond By Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley T E C H N I C A L R E S O U R C E F O R G R O W E R S & W I N E R I E S Don Neel, Editor practicalwinerylibrary.com Access Practical Winery & Vineyard article archives online. and being replaced with non-phthalate plasticizers such as polyester. 47 The bisphenols, of which BPA is the most widely used, are used in the pro- duction of epoxy resins and polycarbon- ates. Epoxies are used in applications such as lining metal cans and concrete wine tanks. Polycarbonate plastics are used in food and beverage storage containers. BPA may also be used as an antioxidant in PVC production. 20 Health issues Many plastics have additives or unre- acted feedstock of the component plastics that may have biological consequences. BPA and phthalates are used in food and beverage packaging materials, including wine packaging, and have been found to leach into foodstuffs over time. 16,45 Exposures to phthalates and BPA can cause endocrine disruption and estro- genic effects that have been linked to human health problems. 19,25 BPA has been suggested to alter human development and cause breast and pros- tate cancers. 2 It leaches from plastic bottles and food packaging, especially when heated or brought into contact with acidic food. 16 This prompted many com- panies, such as those that manufacture baby bottles, to discontinue the use of BPA in their products. 31 The European Union and the United States Food and Drug Administration prohibited BPA use in baby bottles in 2011 and 2012, respectively. 29,33 California intends to list BPA on its Prop. 65 list, which lists chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxic- ity. 30 While many manufacturers have switched from using BPA and claim to be "BPA-free," they may instead be using other bisphenols that also test positive for estrogenic activity. 27 World production of phthalates is esti- mated to be several million tons per year. 34,52 Unlike some plasticizers, phthal- ates are not chemically bound to plastic flame retardants, pigments and others). 11 One of the largest and most controver- sial groups of additives is plasticizers. Epoxies are used in applications such as lining metal cans and concrete wine tanks. Plasticizers are a class of organic com- pounds added to plastics to improve flexibility and durability, without which plastic may be too rigid and brittle. 25,45 PVC polymers use almost 90% of plasti- cizers produced worldwide. 5 The most common types of plasticizers are the phthalate esters (Table I). PVC is predominantly plasticized with diethyl- hexyl phthalate (DEHP). However, due to health concerns and governmental regu- latory changes, 14 DEHP use is declining P lastics are ubiquitously used in the food and beverage industry and are an alternative to traditional packaging materials for wine. Ingredients used in manufacturing plas- tics may include additives such as heavy metals that act as catalysts in the plastic polymerization process and plasticizers used to modify and improve the applica- bility and durability of plastics. Common plastic ingredients include bisphenols and phthalates. Phthalates are typically used to soften plastics and are used in many products from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), lubricants, emulsifying agents, binders and gelling agents, to enteric coatings on pharmaceutical tablets. Bisphenols, such as bisphenol A (BPA), are used to harden plastics and include polycarbonate plastics and epoxy coat- ings. Many additives intercalate within plastic polymers and may leach into materials in contact with the plastic. As plasticizers, phthalates do not chemically bind to the plastics in which they are mixed, and plastic-bisphenol polymers can be hydrolyzed or may be incompletely polymerized, therefore, both types of chemicals can leach from the products into the environment. Contamination of wine with plastic additives can occur during process- ing, storage and transport. GC-MS and LC-MS are among the most common analytical tools to analyze for bisphenols and plasticizers. Plastic ingredients Inorganic or organic substances may be added to plastics to enhance the pro- cessing and properties of the plastics (e.g. stabilizers, plasticizers, biocides, Brent Trela 1 and Cassandra Plank 2 1 Alert Aesthetics, 2 Texas Tech University BY Packaging Health Plasticizer Bisphenol Leachate Epoxy Cancer Phthalate BPA DEHP Plastics Plastic polymers in the wine industry HACCP CONSIDERATIONS

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