Investigation on the release of 15 elements from food contact glassware in the Chinese market

Glassware is widely used in food contact, but the release of elements can have potential adverse effects on consumers. Most countries, such as China and Canada, only stipulated the limits of Pb and Cd released from glassware. To determine the release levels of 15 elements from glassware for food contact in China, 201 batches were collected from the Chinese market and tested with the test conditions specified by the China National Food Safety Standards GB 4806.5–2016. The effects of test conditions, glassware specifications, and decoration of glassware on the release levels were also studied. All the 15 elements were detected, with the detection rates ranging from 4.4% to 74.7%. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the release levels of most elements between the test conditions for cooking utensils (98 °C 120 min) and microwave safe products (100 °C 15 min). The element release levels of glassware with decoration on the outer drinking rim were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those without the decoration. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a risk assessment of the 15 elements released from glassware in the Chinese market, with a focus on the glassware with decoration on the outer drinking rim.