Inside Food Packaging Science: What is Migration and Why Does It Matter

When you pick up a packaged food or beverage, you probably don’t think about the packaging itself. Yet packaging does far more than hold products—it protects food, extends shelf life, and makes safe distribution possible. Behind every package is science that ensures safety, quality, and compliance.

One important concept in packaging science is migration—the movement of small amounts of substances from packaging materials into food. Migration is a natural consideration in food packaging, and regulators, brand owners, and manufacturers carefully monitor it to ensure safety. Understanding how migration happens, and how innovative additives can help minimize it, provides valuable insight into how packaging is made safer and more sustainable.

A schematic diagram illustrating migration in food packaging. On the left, a juice box represents packaging that comes into contact with food. A zoomed-in view of the polymer layer structure shows different components: monomers (blue line), additives (green dot), colorants (yellow square), and impurities (red triangle). Black arrows point from the polymer toward the food, demonstrating how these substances can migrate from the packaging material into the food over time. Adapted from Shin et al., 2021.

What Is Migration in Food Packaging?

Migration refers to the transfer of substances from a packaging material—such as plastics, coatings, or adhesives—into the food or beverage it contains. These substances may include stabilizers, antioxidants, plasticizers, or other additives that are intentionally added to make packaging functional.

There are several ways migration can occur:

• Direct contact – when food touches the inside surface of the packaging.

• Diffusion – molecules naturally moving from areas of higher concentration (packaging) to lower concentration (food).

• Environmental conditions – heat, storage time, or the nature of the food accelerating transfer.

Migration is not automatically harmful—it is a well-understood phenomenon in materials science. The important factor is that it must be managed and kept within safe, regulatory limits.

Why Does Migration Matter?

Regulatory agencies worldwide set strict standards to control migration. For example, the European Union establishes “overall migration limits” (OMLs) that specify how much material can transfer into food under defined test conditions. Similarly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates additives and sets safe use thresholds.

Migration matters because it affects:

Consumer Safety

Packaging must remain safe throughout its use. Regulations ensure that any substances that do migrate are present at levels far below those considered harmful.

Product Quality

Excessive migration can affect the taste, odor, or shelf life of food. For example, if antioxidants migrate into high-fat foods, they can alter flavor. By minimizing migration, packaging maintains the freshness and sensory qualities consumers expect.

Sustainability and Circularity

Migration also affects recycling. If substances carry over into recycled resins, they can limit the ability to reuse those resins in food-contact applications. Lower migration improves recyclability and supports circular economy goals.

Factors That Influence Migration

Not all packaging or additives behave the same way. Several factors determine how much migration may occur:

Temperature & Time

Heat and prolonged storage can increase migration. For example, a soup packaged while hot may interact differently with its container than a chilled beverage stored in the refrigerator.

Food Type

Fatty foods such as cheese, oils, or chocolate tend to draw out more substances from packaging than water-based foods. This is why testing often includes “food simulants” that replicate fat, acid, or alcohol content.

Additive Chemistry

The molecular weight and structure of additives significantly influence migration potential. Smaller molecules can move more easily into food, while larger, polymeric molecules are less likely to migrate.

Understanding these factors helps brand owners design packaging that balances performance, safety, and sustainability.

Myth vs. Fact: Clearing Up Migration Misconceptions

Because the word migration can sound unfamiliar or technical, it is sometimes misunderstood. Let’s clear up a few common misconceptions:

Myth: Any migration is dangerous.
Fact: Migration is expected and controlled. Regulatory limits ensure any migration remains at safe levels, often with large safety margins.

Myth: Migration only happens in plastics.
Fact: All packaging types can have migration risks, including coatings on cans, mineral oils in recycled paperboard, or adhesives in multilayer cartons. Plastics receive more attention because they are widely used and contain multiple functional additives.

Myth: Migration means packaging is unsafe.
Fact: Migration is a natural process considered in packaging design and testing. Safe packaging isn’t the absence of migration—it’s packaging that stays well within safe limits.

By separating fact from myth, we can see migration as part of the science of safe packaging, not a hidden danger.

A Smarter Approach: Low-Migration Additives

Additives are essential to making packaging safe and functional. They protect plastics from heat during processing, prevent oxidative degradation, and ensure packaging holds up through transportation and storage.

But not all additives are equal. Traditional small-molecule stabilizers, while effective, may have higher migration potential. This is why the industry is shifting toward polymeric additives—larger, more stable molecules designed to reduce migration while still providing protection.

Doverphos® LGP-12: Low Migration Antioxidant & Processing Aid

Doverphos® LGP-12 (LGP-12) is an alkylphenol-free, FDA-approved liquid antioxidant that also functions as a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free polymer processing aid (PPA). With no non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) concerns, it improves melt flow index (MFI) stability, reduces gel formation, and minimizes die lip buildup and plate-out—supporting cleaner, more efficient production for modern food packaging.

Key benefits include:

Low Migration Profile

Thanks to its high molecular weight, LGP-12 has a much lower tendency to migrate into food. This helps resin processors and brand owners meet regulatory requirements more easily.

FDA Food-Contact Approval

LGP-12 is cleared for use in food-contact applications, providing confidence and compliance across the supply chain.

Dual Functionality

In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, LGP-12 acts as a processing aid—improving melt flow stability, reducing gel formation, and minimizing die lip buildup during manufacturing.

Supports Circularity

With recyclability now a global priority, LGP-12 helps stabilize recycled resins and reduces additive carryover. This makes it easier to meet post-consumer recycled (PCR) content targets without sacrificing performance.

By combining safety, efficiency, and sustainability, LGP-12 addresses today’s packaging challenges and anticipates tomorrow’s regulatory trends.

Conclusion: Migration Managed by Innovation

Migration is a natural consideration in all food packaging. It doesn’t mean packaging is unsafe—only that it must be carefully managed through science, regulation, and innovation.

By understanding how migration happens, we can appreciate the role additives play in protecting both food and consumers. Next-generation solutions like Doverphos® LGP-12 reduce migration risk, support recyclability, and help brand owners deliver packaging that is safe, compliant, and sustainable.

As the packaging industry continues to evolve, migration will remain a key focus area. Inside Food Packaging Science will keep exploring how smart design and innovative materials shape the future of food packaging.