Foodwatch cancer risk from mineral oil in food

Consumer advocates find traces of aromatic mineral oils in many foods
Pasta, rice, cornflakes and other foods often contain traces of health-threatening mineral oil, according to research by the consumer organization foodwatch. According to extensive laboratory analysis, 9 out of 42 tested products were contaminated with aromatic mineral oils. These are suspected of being carcinogenic and mutagenic - so foodwatch is now emailing EU health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis for better protection.

More than 40 percent of the test products are contaminated
According to the Berlin association "foodwatch", many foods are apparently contaminated with mineral oil residue that is hazardous to health. This resulted in a comprehensive laboratory analysis, in which a total of 120 boxed products from Germany, France and the Netherlands were examined. The researchers discovered in 43 percent of the food so-called "aromatic mineral oils" (Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons, short: MOAH), which could possibly be carcinogenic and mutagenic. In Germany alone, one in five tested foods (9 out of 42 products) was contaminated. These include e.g. the cornflakes from Kellogg's, the top long grain rice from rice-fit and the organic soft wheat semolina from Rewe, according to the consumer organization's report.

Far too much mineral oil in food, says the consumer organization "Foodwatch". Picture: rcfotostock - fotolia

"As environmentally friendly as the recycling of waste paper is, as a food packaging can be a real health risk," said Luise Molling of Food Watch to the news agency "dpa".

Consumer advocates call for functional barriers and limit values
The impurities would essentially result from packaging made from recycled paper. Because the mineral oils contained in printing inks and other hazardous substances such. Plasticisers can switch to food, explains foodwatch. Accordingly, the EU must "functional barriers" such. Prescribe inner bags or coatings for paper packaging to prevent contamination of the food, as required by the association.

In addition, the establishment of strict limit values ​​is necessary, with a zero tolerance for the aromatic mineral oils (MOAH). This is the only way to ensure that even other sources (such as production machines) can not get any hazardous quantities of oil into the food. From which intake carcinogenic substances are dangerous to health, according to the experts could not define.

Accordingly, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the ingestion of MOAH by food is generally objectionable. This is also confirmed by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): "Therefore no demonstrable transition from MOAH to food should take place."

Stiftung Warentest detects mineral oil in Advent calendars for children
As early as 2012, the topic of "mineral oil contamination of food" had received a great deal of public attention through an investigation by Stiftung Warentest. At that time, the testers had found residues of mineral oils and similar substances in the chocolate of 24 children's advent calendars, nine of which contained even the most critical aromatic mineral oils. Even before, a research project commissioned by the Federal Government had already come to the conclusion that in some cases the questionable substances were transferred from the waste paper to the food and therefore barriers were necessary. However, consumers have so far waited in vain for corresponding legal regulations which consistently protect their health, according to the critics of consumer advocates. (No)