Review of volatile organic compounds derived from polyethylene

The formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in polyethylene (PE) is a topic of concern to industries involved in the packaging of items such as foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals that are sensitive to organoleptic contamination. This article reviews the available literature on VOCs that originate from PE during its manufacture, processing, storage, and service life. The package-product interactions that may occur between PE and packaged foodstuffs are also considered together with the wide range of methods for the analysis of VOCs. The following analytical methods are discussed: (i) sensory evaluation, (ii) chromatographic techniques and their associated sampling techniques, including the hot-jar method and dynamic headspace sampling, (iii) gas chromatography-olfactory sensing, and (iv) artificial olfaction or electronic nose technology.