From Boxed Lunch to Beaker: A Spectral Tale of Leachants

This presentation premiered at the September 2025 "Smart Chemistry for Safer Food Systems" virtual symposium presented by Spectroscopy magazine.

Plastics have gone from hero to villain in just a few decades—once praised for convenience, now scrutinized for environmental and health impacts. But what’s actually migrating from your food containers into what you consume?

In this presentation, Derek Guenther, Senior Product Scientist at Ocean Optics, uses UV, NIR, and Raman spectroscopy to analyze chemical extractables from everyday vessels—like Solo cups, Tupperware, Mason jars, and bio-based alternatives—after exposure to water and ethanol.

Learn which compounds leach, how they’re detected, and which spectral techniques deliver the most reliable results.

Discover:
✅ How plastics impact your food and beverage safety
✅ Which containers release the most chemicals
✅ Why spectroscopy is key to understanding extractables

Watch now to see the science behind what’s in your cup!

Learn more about Derek Guenther: https://www.oceanoptics.com/derek-gue...

Contact us: https://www.oceanoptics.com/contact-u...

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