About every second chocolate Easter bunny contaminated with suspected mineral oil

Foodwatch: Many chocolate easter bunnies contain cancerous mineral oils
Tests by consumer organization foodwatch have found traces of mineral oils in eight out of 20 chocolate Easter rabbits examined. The proven substances are suspected of being carcinogenic. The experts demand strict legal regulations.

Carcinogenic and mutagenic substances in chocolate rabbits
The consumer organization foodwatch has had chocolate Easter bunnies tested in the laboratory for mineral oil. It was found that 8 out of 20 products contained aromatic mineral oils (MOAH) that are suspected of being carcinogenic and mutagenic. Affected were both low-priced products from Lidl, Penny and Aldi Nord, as well as expensive branded products, such as Lindt, Feodora and Niederegger. In addition, all chocolate rabbits were more or less heavily contaminated with saturated mineral oils (MOSH), which can accumulate in the body and damage the organs. Extremely high levels of saturated mineral oils were measured by the lab in Lidl's private labels "Favorina" and by Penny's "Douceur", according to the foodwatch website. This is especially critical for children's products because they already absorb a lot of saturated mineral oils anyway.

The consumer organization foodwatch has found in almost every second chocolate Easter bunny tested mineral oil residues. The substances are considered carcinogenic and mutagenic. (Image: KENCKOphotography / fotolia.com)

Zero tolerance in the most critical MOAH
Luise Molling of foodwatch said in a press release: "The test shows that the food industry still has no control over the problem of mineral oils in food. In almost every second hare, we have found cancerous aromatic mineral oils (MOAH). This is totally unacceptable, especially because according to the European Food Safety Authority, children are already most heavily contaminated with mineral oils. The federal government is failing right down the line: it must finally set strict limits for mineral oils in foodstuffs. Zero tolerance must apply especially to the aromatic hydrocarbons that are suspected of causing cancer. They must not be detectable in food at all. "In principle, the mineral oils can reach the chocolate in various ways. For example, jute sacks used for the transport of cocoa beans, which are treated with oils, machine oils used in production or exhaust gases from industry and traffic. Printing inks from waste paper packaging can also be an entry route if such cartons are used during the transport or storage of the raw materials.

Mineral oils in food and cosmetics
It is not the first time that the potential cancer risk from mineral oil in food has been pointed out. Just a few months ago, mineral oil finds in Advent calendars had become known in Bavaria. Several weeks ago, foodwatch found aromatic mineral oils in staple foods such as rice, semolina and cornflakes. And recently, carcinogenic mineral oils have been found in lip care that could be taken orally. Both the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the responsible German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) point to the carcinogenic potential of aromatic mineral oils. "Therefore, no demonstrable transition from MOAH to food should take place," BfR concluded as early as 2012. After discovering mineral oil components in Advent calendars last year, BfR wrote: "The contamination of food with mineral oil components from packaging is undesirable." (Ad)