Raquel Sendón

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Santiago de Compostela

Polyethylene (PE) is a widely used material for packaging food. However, certain additives and their degradation products, which may be generated during transformation processes, may pose risks to consumers health if they migrate into food at levels exceeding safety thresholds. Therefore, identifying and quantifying these potential migrant compound...

Sweet cherry pits, date seeds, and grape seeds are abundant fruit by-products in the Mediterranean region. Assessing their antioxidant capacity is crucial for their valorization. Grape and date seeds exhibited higher concentrations of total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and significant antioxidant capacity. Epicatechin was the main flavonoid in...

Low-density polyethylene-based packaging with 4% lemon extract (LDPE/4LE) and two polylactic-based (PLA) packaging materials with 4% and 6% lemon extract (PLA/PEG/4LE and PLA/6LE) were produced. O2 and water permeability tests were performed, the total and individual phenolic compounds content were measured, and the films’ antioxidant activities we...

Alkyl diethanolamines are a group of compounds commonly used as antistatic agents in plastic food packaging materials. These additives and their possible impurities have the ability to transfer into the food; hence, the consumer may be exposed to these chemicals. Recently, scientific evidence of unknown adverse effects associated with these compoun...

Most cans intended to come into contact with food require the application of an internal coating made from synthetic polymers. The most widely used type of coating are epoxy resins based on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE). It has been found that some components like cyclo-di-BADGE (CdB) and other BADGE derivatives can migrate into food. In thi...

Increasing soil salinisation represents a serious threat to food security, and therefore the exploitation of high-yielding halophytes, such as Salicornia and Sarcocornia, needs to be considered not merely in arid regions but worldwide. In this study, Salicornia ramosissima and Sarcocornia perennis alpini were evaluated for nutrients, bioactive comp...

The coatings of metal cans may release complex mixtures of migrants into the contained foods, including non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), such as reaction products. All migrating substances should be studied to demonstrate their safety. In this work, the characterisation of two epoxy and organosol coatings was performed using several techn...

A simple, fast and effective direct method based on HPLC-APCI-QqQ-MS/MS has been developed to simultaneously determine four 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol monoesters (3-MCPDE) esterified with palmitic, linoleic, stearic, and oleic acid, and two glycidyl esters (GE) with palmitic and oleic acid in margarine and olive oil using a QuEChERS approach. Fac...

Background: Food processing is fundamental to extend the shelf-life of food products. During the processing, several parts of food are wasted. FAO indicated that about one-third of the world's food production for human consumption was lost or wasted, and food waste is an environmental, economic, and social problem. Fruits and vegetables are the foo...

This work aims to assess the antioxidant capacity of citrus pomace, a by-product from juicy industry, of three species: orange (Citrus sinensis L.), lemon (Citrus limon L.) and lime (Citrus aurantiifolia L.) and study their potential as antioxidant additives.

Pistachios (Pistacia vera L.) are a popular nut crop due to their flavor and nutritional quality. Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are a leguminous crop, rich in protein, and popular consumed along with nuts. Pistachio and peanuts are high-value foods, consumed worldwide roasted or in processed foods. Consequently, a huge amount of shells are produced...

The combined use of DART-HRMS, XRF and HPLC-MS/MS to determine potential contamination with brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in several food contacts articles (FCAs) purchased in Spain was investigated. DART-HRMS and XRF were used as screening techniques for BFR identification. DART and XRF detected 100 % and 80 % respectively of the contaminated...

Organic coatings have been applied to the inside surfaces of cans intended to come into contact with food and beverages. In general, polymeric coatings are complex formulations that may contain different components such as resins, crosslinking agents, catalysts, wetting agents, etc. The most widely used type of polymeric coating is epoxy, which is...

The internal surface of food and beverage cans is generally covered with polymeric coatings to preserve food and protect metal substrate from corrosion. Coating materials are complex formulations that contain different starting substances (e.g., monomers, prepolymers, additives, etc.) and in addition during the manufacture of the material several c...

This study focused on the recovery of antioxidant compounds from lemon and tomato by-products for use as natural additives in the development of active food packaging formulated using three different polymeric matrices that included low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polylactic acid (PLA), and G-polymer (GP). The films were characterized according to...

Fruits and vegetables are high preference products of human consumption due to their several health benefits. However, their short shelf life requires innovative strategies of preservation such as active packaging systems to maintain the quality and enhance the organoleptic and nutritional properties of the food. This chapter provides insights on r...

Polymeric coating formulations may contain different components such as cross-linking agents, resins, lubricants, and solvents, among others. If the reaction process or curing conditions are not applied in a proper way, these components may remain unreacted in the polymeric network and could be released and migrate into foods. In this study, severa...

Human dietary exposure to chemicals is a priority issue for public health authorities and constitutes a key step in risk evaluations. The safety of food contact materials, such as food packaging, is a main topic in the field of food safety in the EU and requires the evaluation of the chemical substances that can migrate from the material into the f...

This study evaluated the chemical behaviour of bisphenol S (BPS) and determined its bioaccessibility after human ingestion using a standardised in vitro gastrointestinal digestion protocol and an analytical method based on high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array and tandem mass spectrometry. The effects of different fact...

Polymeric coatings are used as a protective layer to preserve food or beverage quality and protect it from corrosion and avoid a metallic taste. These types of materials can contain some chemicals that are susceptible to migrate to food and constitute a risk for consumers’ health. This study is focused on the identification of volatile and semi-vol...

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemical compounds widely used in different industry fields including food contact materials (FCM), providing resistance to fat and humidity, and non-stick properties. PFAS enter into the food chain directly from the intake of contaminated food or indirectly from the migration of th...

Major types of internal can coatings used for food and beverages are made from synthetic polymers known as epoxy-based resins, mainly based on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE). The migration of components from coatings to food is a concern for food safety. A multiresidue method was developed for the identification and quantification of six bisp...

The bioconversion of fruit by-products into new functional and clean label ingredients/additives represents a sustainable approach with great potential for application in the food sector [...]

Inhaled administration of ethanol in the early stages of COVID-19 would favor its location on the initial replication sites, being able to reduce the progression of the disease and improving its prognosis. Before evaluating the efficacy and safety of this novel therapeutic strategy in humans, its characterization is required. The developed 65° etha...

Eco-friendly and antioxidant bioactive films based on polylactic acid (PLA), loaded with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and green tea extract (GTE) were prepared by direct melt processing. GTE was chemically characterized by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The antioxidant, physical, thermal,...

Inhaled administration of ethanol in the early stages of COVID‐19 would favor its location on the initial replication sites, being able to reduce the progression of the disease and improving its prognosis. Before evaluating the efficacy and safety of this novel therapeutic strategy in humans, its characterization is required. The developed 65° etha...

Fruit by-products have a low economic value and have proven biological activities, such as antioxidant capacity due to the presence of active compounds. The main objective of this study was to obtain and determine the antioxidant capacity, through DPPH radical assay and β-carotene bleaching assay, of three food grade extracts from apple, lemon, and...

Major type of internal can coating used for food and beverages is made from epoxy resins, which contain among their components bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE). These components can be released and contaminate the food or beverage. There is no specific European legislation for coatings, but there is legislation on specific...

Many food formulations use fruits as their main component generating, in most cases, a large portion of fruits by-products which are generally considered as food waste. These by-products, due to its varied composition of active compounds, must be discarded in a responsible and ecological manner by the food industries, which can increase the final c...

Packaging materials are subject to risk assessment since they can transfer their components to the food, and they may constitute a risk for the consumers’ health. Therefore, estimating the exposure to chemicals migrating from packaging is required. In this study, a novel approach based on a total diet study (TDS)-like investigation to evaluate the...

Food packaging has received special attention from the food safety standpoint since it could be a potential source of contamination through the migration of chemical substances from the packaging material into food. The assessment of the exposure through the diet to these contaminants from food packaging is necessary. In this work, an estimation of...

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the chemicals used to produce both polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resin coatings. Research has shown that small amounts of BPA can migrate into the foods and beverages enclosed in these types of containers. In this research, an analytical method based on high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detectio...

The coatings used in cans can release complex chemical mixtures into foodstuffs. Therefore, it is important to develop analytical methods for the identification of these potential migrant compounds in packaged food to guarantee the compliance with European food packaging legislation and ensure consumer safety. In the present work, the type of coati...

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has reported many cases of different UV curing inks components in foodstuffs during the last few years. These contaminants reach foodstuffs mainly by set-off, their principal migration mechanism from the package. Under this premise, this work has tried to characterize the process of migration of two...

Xanthohumol (XN) is the main prenylated chalcone present in hops (Humulus lupulus) with high biological activity, and it is of great importance for human health because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and chemopreventive properties. This polyphenol can be included in the diet through foods in which hops are used, such as be...

A wide variety of compounds are used in the manufacture of plastic materials; however, some of them have the potential to migrate in food products. The main objective of this work was the identification of potential migrants in plastic packaging materials and their migration into food simulants. For this purpose, a total of twelve plastic packaging...

Tomato processing industries generate many byproducts that are mainly unexploited or underutilized. In order to convert tomato byproducts into added-value products, composite films made of sodium caseinate (NaCas), glycerol (25 wt%), and lipidic fraction of tomato pomace (LFTP) at different contents (0-40 wt%) were produced and characterized in ter...

Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is mainly used in the production of polycarbonate, a material with high durability and strength. This chemical is also used in the production of epoxy resins, applied in the coating of metal surfaces in contact with food. Moreover, it is employed in thermal paper. BPA has been widely reported by the media, being the aim...

Food packaging may be a potential source of contamination, through the migration of chemicals from the packaging into the food, thus food consumption is an important route of human exposure to packaging contaminants. In the present study an approach to estimate the exposure to different chemicals transferred from food packaging was designed. As a f...

Food packaging is a key part within the food safety. The components of these food contact materials should be studied with great caution because they can migrate to the food depending on several factors. Many of these food containers are made of materials such as polycarbonates or paper and cardboard. These polymeric materials can decompose at high...

BACKGROUND Migration is a mass transfer process in which chemical substances with a low molecular weight are transferred from packaging into food. This phenomenon has received great attention from a food safety point of view because these chemicals could potentially represent a risk for consumers' health. The present study investigated the process...

Food packaging materials may be a potential source of contamination through the migration of components from the material into foodstuffs. Potential migrants can be known substances such as additives (e.g., plasticizers, stabilizers, antioxidants, etc.), monomers, and so on. However, they can also be unknown substances, which could be non-intention...

The aim of this work was to study the interactions between polypropylene (PP) food packaging for fatty products (margarine) and food simulant. For this purpose, a simulant (olive oil) was used in two different temperatures (20°C and 40°C). The interaction phenomena were investigated according to the rate of mass variation of PP samples with time an...

Plastic materials are widely used in food packaging applications; however, there is increased concern because of the possible release of undesirable components into foodstuffs. Migration of plastic constituents not only has the potential to affect product quality but also constitutes a risk to consumer health. In order to check the safety of food c...

The oxygen can have an adverse effect on the quality of some foods leading to a decrease in their shelf-life. Several approaches have been applied to remove the oxygen concentration in packed food; among them, oxygen scavengers have been widely used to preserve oxygen-sensitive foods. In the present study, an experimental set-up was designed to eva...

The aim of the present study was to determine the migration kinetics of one photoinitiator, benzophenone, and two optical brighteners, Uvitex OB and 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene (DPBD) from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films into cake. We assessed transfer by both direct contact and also the vapour phase. To perform the migration tests by direct c...

Biodegradable polymers are gaining interest as antimicrobial carriers in active packaging. In the present study, two active films based on chitosan (1.5% w/v) and methylcellulose (3% w/v) enriched with natamycin were prepared by casting. The antimicrobial’s release behavior was evaluated by immersion of the films in 95% ethanol (v/v) at different t...

Background There are many plants with interesting pharmaceutical activities but Aloe vera is probably the most applied medicinal plant worldwide. Since biblical times, aloe has been used for its purgative effect, skin disorders healing and beauty treatments. Scope and approach For this study, an extensive review on Aloe vera was carried out, includ...

In the past years, there has been growing interest in the development of molecularly imprinted polymers. Molecular imprinting technology have been widely used in different fields including pharmaceutical biotechnological and chemical industries, water purification and food and environment analysis. These materials have been successfully applied in...

This chapter provides an overview of studies about antimicrobial (AM) food packaging based on biodegradable materials. Due to the environmental problems related to non-biodegradability of petrochemical-based plastics, biopolymers are now being considered as an alternative to synthetic polymers for several applications, including AM packaging for fo...

Two HPLC–UV rapid methods have been developed to quantify and identify melamine, ammeline, ammelide and formaldehyde in samples of melamine plastic kitchenware. Eighteen samples of melamine articles purchased at various markets in Galicia (Spain) and Quito (Ecuador) were analyzed. Melamine analysis was carried out using a HILIC column (150 × 3 mm,...

New active films based on chitosan and polycaprolactone blends and containing α-tocopherol were designed for food packaging applications. Mechanical properties, stability against temperature and swelling degree in 50 % ethanol (v/v) were evaluated. Migration kinetics of α-tocopherol from the developed films into butter and food simulants [50 % etha...

The mass transport process (migration) of a model substance, benzophenone (BZP), from LDPE into selected foodstuffs at three temperatures was studied. A mathematical model based on Fick's Second Law of Diffusion was used to simulate the migration process and a good correlation between experimental and predicted values was found. The acquired result...

Studies on nanoparticles have focused the attention of the researchers because they can produce nanocomposites that exhibit unexpected hybrid properties. Polymeric materials are commonly used in food packaging, but from the standpoint of food safety, one of the main concerns on the use of these materials is the potential migration of low molecular...

In the present work, the migration of three chemicals, benzophenone, 1,4-diphenylbutadiene and Uvitex® OB from low-density polyethylene samples into the food simulant, 50% ethanol (v/v), was studied. The key parameters of the diffusion process, the partition and diffusion coefficients, were calculated by using a mathematical model based on Fick’s S...

Active antimicrobial films based on biodegradable materials are now widely used for food packaging applications. In the present study, an extrusion process was used to prepare biodegradable films based on polylactic acid PLA and supplemented with sorbic acid and seaweeds (PLA + 0.5% sorbic acid; PLA + 0.5% sorbic acid + 8% seaweed). The kinetics of...

The effect of replacing the on-board currently employed polyethylene film by a novel type of environmentally friendly packaging was studied. For it, a polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable film including lyophilised alga Fucus spiralis and sorbic acid was applied during megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) refrigeration and its effect on fish quality...

UV printing inks are considered safer than the classical inks; however, despite being on the outer surface of the packaging material, their components can migrate into foodstuffs and can give rise to contamination. Photoinitiators are a part of the formulation of printing inks, being an important class of migrant, for which there have been more tha...

Traditionally, most synthetically developed materials are hardened by heating them to an elevated temperature, a process requiring large amounts of energy and space. Interest in photo cured materials using UV-light is growing due to simplifications in manufacturing and growing environmental concerns; it is expected photocuring could reduce electric...

A novel active packaging based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was developed for the controlled release of ferulic acid. The release kinetics of ferulic acid from the active system to food simulants (10, 20, and 50% ethanol (v/v), 3% acetic acid (w/v), and vegetable oil), substitutes (95% ethanol (v/v) and isooctane), and real food samples a...

It is a well known fact that amines are not stable in food of fatty nature. In this study the synthesis and characterization of the products obtained as a result of the reaction of amines in a fatty medium is reported. Based on the well known reactions among amines and acid and esters groups, two novel compounds have been synthesized using m-xylyle...

The aim of this paper was to characterize chitosan samples from the shrimp shells for the later development of antimicrobial active systems. These systems include 100 % chitosan-based films obtained by casting, polyamide films with 5 and 10 % of chitosan obtained by extrusion and polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate films with a coating of 0.6 %...

Photoinitiators (PIs) are components of UV-cured inks widely used in printing of food packaging. These substances can migrate into food and may be a hazard to human health. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC–DAD) has been used for analysis of PIs and amine synergists in food packaging. Analysis was performed wit...

Natamycin is an antibiotic belonging to the group of polyene macrolides extensively employed as additive to prevent the microbial deterioration in food. The Annex III of the Directive 95/2/EC fixes in 1 mg/dm2 the maximum level of the antifungal allowed in the final product.Reliable and sensitive methods for the analysis of natamycin are required t...

Nowadays, there is increasing interest in natural antioxidants from food by-products. Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant and one of the major carotenoids in crustaceans and salmonids. An ultra-high pressure liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of astaxanthin in shrimp by-products, and its migration from n...

Recently, it has been demonstrated that the main Bisphenol A (BPA) release is a degradation process originated by the contact between detergent and polycarbonate (PC) at high temperatures. EU Laws for food contact materials authorize the use of BPA for food contact PC articles (some for the use of young children), and consequently, the degradation...

Volatile amines including, methylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine have been widely used for measuring freshness of seafood. In the present work an SPME-GC-FID method to evaluate the volatile amine contents in fish samples stored under controlled conditions was developed. The optimum conditions for the extraction of amines were as follows: 50...

Agglomerated stoppers are manufactured from natural cork granules and adhesives. Esters, such as phthalates and adipates, are commonly used in adhesives at concentrations of typically 2-5%. Because of this, and regarding consumer safety, it is necessary to ensure that these compounds do not migrate into the beverage where the cork stopper is used....

Chitosan, a multiple applications molecule, was isolated from shrimp by-products by fermentation. The amount of chitosan in the solid fraction of the fermented extract was measured after its conversion in the respective glucosamine units. The procedure includes an acid hydrolysis (110 °C, 4 h with HCl 8 M) and a derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethy...

Antimicrobial films for food packaging applications have received increasing attention from the industry in recent years. Due to their exceptional properties, such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, antimicrobial characteristics, and biocompatibility, chitosan has proven useful for the development of active materials. This review aims to provide an...

In this work the proximal analysis, physicochemical characterization, fatty acid profile and astaxanthin content of pigmented oil obtained by fermentation shrimp heads are presented. Lipids are the major components in the oil (95%). The saponification number is 178.62 mg KOH/g, iodine value 139.8 cg iodine/g, and the peroxide value was not detected...

This paper describes the development of a multi-analyte method for the determination of polyfunctional amines commonly used as monomers in the manufacture of food contact materials. Amines were analyzed by high-performance-liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) after derivatization with dansyl chloride. The chromatographic anal...

During the last decade the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) monomer in polycarbonate baby bottles has drawn the attention of both the public and the scientific community. This paper presents the results of BPA migration from polycarbonate baby bottles bought in the Spanish market, into simulant B (3% acetic acid), 50% ethanol and into real food (reconst...

The possibility of using the lipid fraction from fermented shrimp waste as a source of natural α-tocopherol to produce packaging with antioxidant properties was evaluated. A fast reverse-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-UPLC) method coupled with a diode array detector was developed to determine α-tocopherol in the lipid fraction o...

In the present study, a reversed high performance liquid chromatographic method with diode array detection was developed to analyze histamine in sea food samples. The separation was performed on a Kromasil ODS (C18) (150x3.20 mm, 5 mu m) column thermostated at 25 degrees C and using a gradient of Milli-Q water and methanol as mobile phase. The biog...

Chitosan (CAS n. 9012-76-4) is a natural polysaccharide obtained by the partial deacetylation of chitin. It is a linear polymer of β (1-4) 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose in different proportions. Chitin is the most abundant polysaccharide after cellulose and the main source is the shells of crustaceans. It has been demo...

Polyfunctional amines are a group of substances commonly used as additives or monomers in food-contact materials. These substances can migrate into foodstuffs and, consequently, may be potentially dangerous for human health. Due to their different chemical structures and physicochemical properties there does not exist a standard method to analyze p...

The project ‘Preparation of active packaging with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity based on astaxanthin and chitosan’ (PAPAAABAC, in Spanish PEACAABAQ) brings together a multi-disciplinary team from Mexico, Spain and Portugal, with expertise in different areas of food and polymer sciences. The working programme includes optimisation of the ex...

The key block for the production of polycarbonate (PC) is bisphenol A (BPA). Recent studies have proven that this monomer is able to migrate from PC baby bottles into food simulants and, although this is a polemical subject, numerous investigations indicate that BPA may have an effect on the human health. For these reasons, BPA safety regarding hum...

A large amount of modern cooking utensils are made of nylon. This is the generic name of polyamides that are polymers having characteristic amide linkages. Caprolactam is the monomer used in the synthesis of nylon 6. This work presents the validation of an LC-UV method for the determination of caprolactam in the aqueous food simulant 3% acetic acid...