Finding, made by researchers from Innovare Laboratory, indicates the need to re-discuss the analytical techniques currently used
Researchers from the Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, linked to the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF) at Unicamp, identified the presence of compounds used in the manufacture of vacuum packaging in meat pieces packaged in this type of packaging. The finding was made using a methodology developed specifically for this purpose, which included the use of mass spectrometry, an extremely versatile and precise analytical technique. According to Professor Rodrigo Ramos Catharino, coordinator of Innovare, the results of the study indicate the need to rethink the analytical methods currently used, which are not capable of detecting the migration of contaminants from plastic packaging to food.
According to Catharino, the methodologies used to verify the migration of compounds present in packaging to the food contained therein are applied through modeling, and not through testing on the food itself. “There has always been discussion about whether this type of analysis would be able to establish a real picture of the migration of the compounds that make up plastic into food. The answer given by our work is no, since previous analyzes pointed to the non-occurrence of this transfer”, explains the professor.
According to him, the development of the methodology that made it possible to accurately identify the migration of plastic compounds to meat cuts represents a paradigm shift. “More than that, the results we obtained serve as a warning to the population and supervisory bodies regarding the need to review the procedures and standards in force, in order to offer greater security to consumers”, he understands. Catharino remembers that vacuum-packed meats are widely consumed by the population, due to their practicality. In general, people are not willing to queue at butchers, citing lack of time.
The Innovare coordinator points out that in the tests carried out by the laboratory, cuts of beef purchased in supermarkets were used. “First, we characterize the packaging to identify its composition. Then, we analyzed cuts of meat that were not vacuum-packed and cuts that were, in order to establish parameters for comparisons. The meat that had not been wrapped in a wrapper did not show any trace of compounds, as expected. However, in the sections that were vacuum packed we identified four compounds (Phthalic Anhydride, Stearamide, Diisooctyl phthalate and Polyethylene glycol), all of them unsuitable for ingestion”, he points out.
A fact that raises additional concern, says Catharino, is that the contaminants were not only present on the surface of the meat, the part that comes into direct contact with the packaging. “We also find these compounds in the internal parts of the food. Furthermore, these contaminants are thermostable, which means they are not destroyed during the cooking process. Instead, they focus. What we need to answer, based on new research, is what level of exposure to these substances is provided by this migration, what is the level of toxicity of these compounds and what effects they can have on the body in case of prolonged consumption”, adds the teacher.
Versatile technique
The methodology developed by Innovare researchers was based on the use of a mass spectrometer, an extremely versatile and precise piece of equipment. The technology has the ability to both determine and quantify the presence of certain molecules in a given sample, no matter how small they may be. “This gives us great security regarding the quality of the analysis”, says Catharino. According to him, the study on the migration of contaminants from vacuum packaging to beef cuts was carried out in the context of the doctoral thesis by pharmacist Tatiane Melina Guerreiro. The work resulted in a scientific article that was published in July last year in the journal Food Research International. “The publication has had great repercussions. Several colleagues have contacted us to ask for more details about the research”, reveals the professor.
Still according to Catharino, the topics investigated by his research group are always related to people's daily lives. “We seek to provide scientific answers to problems that concern ordinary citizens or that can contribute to improving their quality of life. It’s a way of repaying the taxes paid by society, which finance the public university”, he explains. Another project along these lines, says the professor, is an ongoing study related to generic medicines. The researchers want to propose a methodology that establishes the need to promote pre-bioequivalence tests to verify the safety of these products.
Catharino explains the issue better: “Currently, we only promote bioequivalence studies, which basically check whether the active ingredients are present in the medicine, in the indicated quantity. It turns out that it is not enough to confirm this aspect. By hypothesis, the active ingredient may be there, but accompanied by toxic substances generated during the synthesis process. In this case, the generic medicine may be much closer to the counterfeit product than to the reference medicine. What we want is to draw attention to the importance of looking at the chain, that is, paying attention not only to the presence of the active ingredient, but also to other substances that should not be there.”
In the tests carried out in the laboratory, the team coordinated by Catharino used medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction, popularly known as “azuizinhos”. “We chose to analyze these medicines because they are widely consumed around the world, including in Brazil, and because they are constant targets of counterfeits.” The Innovare group has also been working on a project that should result in a proposal to reclassify obesity. Criteria based solely on the Body Mass Index (BMI), according to the researcher, do not accurately portray the conditions of an obese patient. “By improving this classification, we can certainly improve the treatment of these people”, infers Catharino. The study on vacuum packaging was financed by the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp).