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Mineral oil finds in the advent calendar - Foodwatch criticized and trivialize authorities
After the detection of so-called aromatic mineral oils (MOAH) in Advent calendars, the consumer protection organization Foodwatch calls on the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) to publish the list of affected products. "The authorities in Bavaria have found in the chocolate of several advent calendars risky mineral oil residues - but no measures to protect consumers," complains Foodwatch.
According to Foodwatch, the LGL had analyzed eleven advent calendars in November and proved MOAH in five chocolates. However, "neither the sale of polluted products stopped nor a public warning" pronounced criticize the consumer advocates. With their "secrecy policy" the authorities do not contribute to the protection of health - but prevent it. Foodwatch has therefore launched an e-mail campaign to move the Bavarian consumer protection minister Ulrike Scharf to publish the names of contaminated products - "before the last chocolate from the Advent calendars is consumed."
Given the evidence of mineral oils in Advent calendar chocolate Foodwatch calls for an announcement of the loaded products. (Image: lagom / fotolia.com) Wrong signal to the manufacturer
According to the Foodwatch, the MOAH has identified MOAH as "particularly questionable", "as potentially carcinogenic substances may be present" and the European Food Authority EFSA describes MOAH as potentially mutagenic, but evidence of further steps was evidently not proven in advent calendars , According to the consumer protection organization "a real farce, is the signal from Bavaria to the manufacturer: Even if in a product risky substances were detected, this has no consequences." Neither the State Ministry of Environment and Consumer Protection nor the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety had been widely requested by Foodwatch to provide information on the affected products and the proven residue levels.
Trivializing the risks
According to Foodwatch, the Bavarian authorities did not consider the MOAH detected to be "of concern" because of the alleged "low levels" of detected residues compared to citizens' exposure to aromatic mineral oils from other sources. Therefore, no warning was given before eating the Advent calendar chocolate. However, according to the risk assessment for MOAH, there are no safe thresholds. "There is a risk as soon as the substances have been detected in foods," emphasizes Foodwatch. The assessment of the LGL was unfounded in view of the scientific risk assessments. This is a crude trivialization of the risks operated.
Right too information
Although the LGL reported on the investigation of Advent calendar chocolate on its website, the measurement data and product names of charged calendars were not disclosed. However, according to the Consumer Information Act (VIG), the public is in any case entitled to be labeled with the contaminated products, "said Foodwatch. This was clarified by the case law. According to this information, official data collected are not trade secrets and, in the case of an application under the VIG, must be surrendered. However, such a public information under the Consumer Information Act "formally at least two months." So the charged advent calendar would be announced well after the end of Advent, which is why Foodwatch has deliberately renounced such a formal request and a formless request to the Ministry and the LGL judged.
Announcement of product names required
Foodwatch was outraged by the actions of the authorities. These would have to do anything to prevent consumption of the products if a health risk was identified. This is true "especially with the chocolate of Advent calendars, which is consumed by numerous children these days." Consumers should therefore contact the Bavarian Consumer Protection Minister Ulrike Scharf in the email campaign and ask you to announce the charged Advent calendar, so the appeal of Foodwatch. (Fp)