Transport of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) from baking oven doors into the food

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) have been repeatedly detected in the kitchen environment. Especially baking ovens were contaminated with high CP amounts on the insides of the doors. To investigate if CPs could be transferred into baked food, we spiked self-synthesized single chain C(12)-CP and C(15)-CP standards onto the inside door of an unused, CP-free baking oven. Experiments were performed under different conditions to assess possible CP transportation pathways. Coconut fat was used as food simulant, the exhaust air was monitored with cellulose filter paper and remaining CPs were collected via cotton wipes. In all experiments, both C(12)- and C(15)-CPs could be identified in both the food simulant and the cellulose samplers. Mean transfer rates into the food simulant amounted to 2.2% for C(12)-CPs and 5.8% for C(15)-CPs. Baking of food in CP-containing baking ovens may perceptibly increase the CP intake of consumers.