Migration of styrene monomer from packaging material into food. Experimental verification of a theoretical model

Summary A standard equation for a diffusion process has been adapted to cover the conditions of certain simple extractability experiments in which components migrate from polymers into foods. Data obtained during previous work on the migration of styrene monomer from polystyrene into foods have been re‐examined in order to confirm the validity of the adapted equation. A computer was used to assist in evaluating the constants of the diffusion process using the derived mathematical expression. It was possible to relate the change in the diffusion coefficients to the interaction of certain foods with the polymer.