Food-contact potential of polylactic acid/natural rubber (PLA/NR) packaging films

This research investigates the food-contact potential of polylactic acid/natural rubber (PLA/NR) packaging films at NR contents ranging from 0 to 25 wt%. The migration levels of all films were found to meet the EU standard for all food simulants under both short-term and long-term food contact conditions (OM0 and OM2) at 40℃, where the migrants from PLA/NR films were primarily CaCO₃ (used as a nonstick agent) and lactic acid and lactide released from PLA. These findings suggest that all PLA/NR films are suitable for food packaging across various food types and storage durations at both cold and ambient temperatures.