Abstract: Green biodegradable food contact materials have been increasingly used, but they may contain degradation products from raw materials and additives, impurities, newly formed compounds and pollutants. These non-intentionally added substances, many of which are unknown, can migrate into foods. In order to ensure the safety of consumers, it is necessary to identify these substances and evaluate their health risks. This article summarizes non-intentionally added substances in biodegradable food contact materials and their possible sources, outlines the latest sample pretreatment methods and high-resolution mass spectrometry for the analysis of non-intentionally added substances, and describes the application of the threshold of toxicological concern approach in the health risk assessment of non-intentionally added substances. Moreover, this article proposes that bioassays are effective supplements to conventional risk assessment methods. It is hoped that this review will provide a reference for research on the safety of biodegradable food contact materials.

Key words: biodegradable food contact materials; non-intentionally added substance; identification; risk assessment