Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) are complex chemical mixtures. They are mainly MOAH – mineral oils, consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, and MOSH – mineral oils, which are mixtures of saturated hydrocarbons. The presence of these substance in food products is a threat to consumer safety and should therefore be monitored. At J.S. Hamilton, we perform MOSH and MOAH determination for food and packaging products.
The issue regarding the presence of mineral oils in food first emerged as a result of research conducted in a laboratory in Zurich, which showed the presence of certain types of mineral oils in dry food stored in packaging made of paper and cardboard. Furthermore, in 2012, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued an opinion in which it considered exposure to MOSH to be of concern and exposure to MOAH to be of particular concern.
Sources of mineral oil (MOH) contamination in food include migration from packaging (recycled paper, release of printing inks, use of mineral oils in the manufacture of plastics), use of jute or sisal bags, food additives such as anti-caking agents, contamination on processing lines (lubricants, diesel) or contamination during harvesting (agricultural machinery).
Mineral oils are harmful to health and accumulate mainly in fatty and dry foods. In the human body, they accumulate in internal organs, can lead to damage to the liver, heart valve and lymph nodes, and their consumption increases the risk of cancer.
In 2017, Commission Recommendation (EU) 2017/84 of 16 January 2017 was published, which required Member States to monitor the presence of mineral oils in food (fats and oils, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, confectionery and pastry products, grains for human consumption, nuts, cured meats, fish and canned fish, confectionery products including cocoa and chocolate, ice cream and desserts, oilseeds, legumes) as well as in food contact materials.
The work on setting rules regulating the presence of mineral oils in food and in food contact materials and articles at EU level is still ongoing. In August 2020, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture notified an updated version of the draft mineral oil regulation to the European Commission – discussions are still underway.
J.S. Hamilton Poland laboratories perform MOSH and MOAH determination by accredited method using HPLC-GC-FID in continuous mode in food, paper and board packaging and plastics.
Contact our team today to schedule your tests with us – or to learn more about mineral oils monitoring.