What do we know about MOSH and MOAH?
From stock cubes to chocolate and from bread spreads to bottle feeding: laboratory tests by Food Watchdog Foodwatch show that many foods can be contaminated with mineral oils. What are they and are they harmful to health?
What are mineral oils?
Mineral oils are chemicals that are usually made from petroleum. There are thousands of different mineral oils. They can be divided into two different groups: MOSH (mineral oils of saturated hydrocarbons) and MOAH (mineral oils of aromatic hydrocarbons). Sometimes these substances are also in foods.
How do mineral oils get into foods?
Some mineral oils are added deliberately. For example, they make chewing gum and candy shine. For example, the E number is E905, a glazing agent based on mineral oils. Mineral oils can also inadvertently end up in foods through packaging. This mainly concerns foodstuffs that are individually packaged in recycled cardboard, such as boxes for rice and chocolate sprinkles. The mineral oils then come from the newspaper ink from which the cardboard is made. Small amounts of this contamination can get into the food if it comes into contact with the cardboard for a long time. Finally, mineral oils can also end up in foodstuffs during production. Think of lubricants containing mineral oils, which are used in the conveyor belts of factories.
How harmful are MOSH and MOAH?
It is not yet known exactly, but it is already clear that some mineral oils are harmful. Most of the concerns are about MOAH. Some mineral oils from this group can damage the genetic material of the body cells and are therefore probably carcinogenic. MOSH are not carcinogenic, but here too there are sometimes safety concerns. According to the European Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (EFSA), some can build up in the body and potentially harm the liver. In short: it is better not to consume too much of some MOSH and certainly MOAH. However, it is not yet clear which amounts lead to health damage. This still needs to be extensively investigated. There are also no legal rules about levels of mineral oils in foodstuffs.
What foods contain mineral oils?
Little information is available about the presence of mineral oils in foodstuffs. They were first detected in pasta and breakfast cereals and later in chocolate, rice, grains, spices, fats, instant soup, formula and other carton-packed foods. Foodwatch recently analyzed 152 foods and found residues of MOAH in 19 products. These included stock cubes, chocolate, spreads and muesli. But it is not yet known exactly how much mineral oils we ingest through our diet. And how unhealthy that is, neither. What can you do to be safe? Eat mostly unprocessed products and use as little processed and packaged products as possible.
What does Foodwatch want?
Foodwatch wants the European Union to make a law that bans harmful MOAH in foods. Then food companies must do everything possible to prevent contamination with MOAH in products. Foodwatch also wants a recall of foods in which MOAH has been found.
