After Red meat, which beyond 100 g per day would increase the risk of colorectal cancer, should we also be wary of starchy foods? Some should wonder after the publication of a report by the political organization for the defense of consumers Foodwatch France.
The NGO warns against the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons in mineral oils on certain commonly consumed foods. In his sights: rice, pasta, lentils, couscous, corn flakes or even cocoa powder that would be contaminated by these petroleum derivatives.
The frightening observation was drawn from the analysis of 120 consumer products tested in the laboratory in Germany, the Netherlands and France. The results revealed that almost half of the foods tested contained hydrocarbons from aromatic mineral oils (MOAHs). However, these substances are suspected “of being carcinogenic, endocrine disruptors and mutagens (which can alter the genetic heritage)”, underlines Foodwatch.
Where does this contamination come from? This would have several sources such as the transport chain or the production chain. But the packaging would be the biggest culprits. “The printing inks present in the boxes of recycled packaging are one of the major sources of mineral oils”, specifies the report of the NGO.
Problem, the presence of these hydrocarbons is known to politicians but no European legislation exists to protect consumers from this health risk.
A petition to challenge politicians
Faced with this legal vacuum, Foodwatch pleads for the European Union to set “strict limits on the quantity of mineral oils present in food” but also to impose “the use of adequate barriers for all paper and cardboard packaging” .
The NGO invites you to sign a petition, launched on October 27 in France, the Netherlands and Germany. It will be handed over to the European Commissioner in charge of Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis.
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