Ion-Mobility Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: A Novel Technique Applied to Migration of Nonintentionally Added Substances from Polyethylene Films Intended for Use as Food Packaging.

Nontarget analysis of nonvolatile substances in complex samples is a very challenging task that requires powerful analytical techniques and experience of analyzing such samples. An extensive study was conducted in order to identify nonintentionally added substances (NIAS) migrating from 18 polyethylene (PE) samples intended to be in contact with food. The migration assays were performed in five simulants and analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to an ion-mobility separation (IMS) quadrupole-time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer. This experimental setup provides a novel and powerful tool for this type of nonvolatile and nontargeted analysis. Thirty-five compounds were identified, 17 of which were NIAS. Methyl and ethyl 3-(3,5-di-