Migration of aniline from polyamide cooking utensils into food simulants

Migration of aniline from polyamide cooking utensils was investigated. Aniline was found to originate from the application of black colorant in the polyamide 66 raw material. Analysis of polyamide raw material revealed an aniline concentration of 121 +/- 13 mg kg(-1). The aniline concentration in a cooking utensil (turner) manufactured with 70% polyamide raw material was 82 +/- 6 mg kg(-1). When testing migration from black coloured samples of turner, whisk and cooking spoon into water simulant at 100 degrees C for 30 min, the migration levels at the third exposure were 39 +/- 1, 11 +/- 4 and 37 +/- 4 mug dm(-2), respectively. Hence, these articles were not compliant with respect to the area-based limit for primary aromatic amines (3.33 mug dm(-2)) set by European Union Directive 2002/72/EC. Repeated testing of a cooking utensil (turner) showed that approximately 100 h use at 100 degrees C was required to reach legal (non-detectable) levels of aromatic amine migration.