Inter-laboratory study on methods for analyzing bisphenol A content for migration tests from polycarbonate apparatuses, containers, and packaging

Abstract

An inter-laboratory study involving 23 laboratories was conducted to validate the government-approved analytical method for the determination of bisphenol A migrating from polycarbonate food processing materials. The obtained values were analyzed statistically using internationally accepted guidelines. Horwitz ratios were calculated based on the reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSD_R), which was estimated from the inter-laboratory study, and predicted RSD_R, which was calculated using the Horwitz/ Thompson equation. The analytical methods used for the migration solutions of water, 20% ethanol, and 4% acetic acid met the performance criteria of less than 2 of HorRat value set by the Codex Alimentarius for analytical method approval, but the analytical method for the migration solution of heptane did not. The results showed that the analytical method for the migration solution of heptane needs to be improved.