News & Events

 

We congratulate Toma and wih her success in applying the results of his research for the benefit of us all!

 

Her research focuses on plastics widely used in food packaging - and their impact on our health. As the thesis points out, plastics are well suited for this purpose, as they protect the packaging from damage by micro-organisms, light and other external factors, while preserving the quality of the food, and are easy to transport. 

 

On the other hand, virgin plastic is rarely used in this area, so various additives are used to adapt it to food packaging. And these, along with residues and degradation products from the production process, tend to migrate into the food we eat - and threaten our health.

 

According to T. Petrulionienė, the negative impact of additives added to plastics on human health is now well documented, with questions being raised about emerging health problems such as thyroid disorders and allergies.

 

As for the unintended substances added to plastics, many of their effects are not studied and are generally unknown. Therefore, the chemist notes, in order to protect consumers from the migration of potentially harmful (intentionally and unintentionally added) chemicals from packaging into food, many scientific groups are working on legislation to regulate the composition of such packaging and educate the public.

 

 

 

The aim of Toma's thesis was therefore to investigate how various additives alter the properties of polyethylene and polypropylene (plastics used in food packaging) and how these unwanted substances migrate into food simulants.

 

"It is important for everyone to remember that plastic packaging, while appearing to be safe, is in fact not inert, i.e. it can release certain substances. The additives used in this packaging migrate into the food - and thus into our body.

The thesis developed new methods to identify metals and antioxidants released from plastics," says the researcher.

 

She works at the National Public Health Laboratory of Lithuania and says her PhD will be very useful in practice and in improving legislation:

 

"For example, there are still no official methods to identify antioxidants migrating from food packaging. The authorities do not have such tools. So the new methods I have developed can be used for routine control of packaging in Lithuania."