PhD defence Thanos Kourkopoulos

Keywords: Food contact materials, Effect-directed analysis, Food contaminants, Food safety

"Detection of Hazardous Substances in Food Contact Materials: Development and Evaluation of an Effect-directed Screening Framework for Hazard Identification and Suspect Prioritization"

The present thesis developed an effect‑directed hazard identification framework for recycled paper food contact materials (FCMs) and examined its capabilities and limitations in identifying contaminants migrating from these materials. To achieve this, paper and cardboard food contact materials with different compositions were assessed for their potential to release both intentionally added substances and non-intentionally added contaminants into food. A comprehensive framework—combining migration tests aligned with Regulation (EU) 10/2011, exhaustive extraction, advanced chemical analysis, in vitro bioassays, and computational prediction tools—was designed to capture a broad range of possible hazards.

Overall, this thesis demonstrates that recycled paper FCMs can release diverse mixtures of chemicals, including metals and organic compounds, some of which may pose health concerns. It also shows that no single method is sufficient; only a layered, multidisciplinary approach provides a more realistic and protective assessment. This work underscores the need for harmonized testing strategies, improved hazard‑identification tools, and clearer migration limits to ensure that sustainable packaging is also safe for consumers.

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