MINERAL OILS (MOSH AND MOAH) AND 3-MCPD MIGRATION ON BAKING PAPER

Germany has notified RASFF of mineral oil contamination (MOSH and MOAHs) and the migration of 3-MCPD into baking paper forms used as wrapper of muffins .

This paper comes from China and has been introduced to the EU through Spain being distributed to other member countries (Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia).

MOSH AND MOAH

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs) are chemical compounds mainly derived from crude oil, but are synthetically produced from coal, natural gas and biomass. MOH may be present in food as a result of environmental contamination, lubricants from machinery used during harvesting and food production, processing aids, food additives and materials in contact with foods. Food grade MOH are treated in a way that minimizes mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) .

In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Technical Committee on Contaminants in the Food Chain (Contam) concluded that the possible effects on human health of the groups of substances present between MOHs vary considerably. MOAH can act as genotoxic carcinogens , while some mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) accumulate in human tissues and can cause deleterious effects on the liver. Since some MOAHs are considered mutagens and carcinogens, it is important to organize MOH monitoring to better understand the relative presence of MOSH and MOAH in food products that contribute most to food exposure.

In January 2017 the Commission published Commission Recommendation (EU) 2017/84 of 16 January 2017 on the monitoring of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food and on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food .

MCPDs

3-Monoploropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is a pollutant from the group of chloropropanols which is formed during the manufacture of soy sauce and the hydrolysed vegetable proteins produced by acid hydrolysis. In addition, in the refining of some vegetable oils, such as palm oil (Elaeis guineensis), also appears along with the esters of 3-MCPD , glycidol , glycidyl esters and 2-MCPD as process contaminants .
Specifically, they are generated in the refining process at high temperatures, above 200 ° C. Therefore, esters of 2-MCPD and 3-MCPD , as well as glycidyl esters , are considered important contaminants of edible oils used as food or as food ingredients . 3-MCPD has been classified as possible carcinogen (Group 2B) by IARC , causing infertility and decrease in the activity of the immune system in experimental rats. Glycidyl esters have been classified as probable carcinogens (Group 2A) by IARC, whereas 2MCPD has not been evaluated by this international body to date.

At present, a maximum level of 20 ?g / kg of food has been established in Regulation 1881/2006 as maximum permitted level for 3-MCPD in hydrolyzed vegetable protein and soy sauce. On the basis of the scientific report published by EFSA in 2013, the Commission issued Recommendation 2014/661 / EU calling for the active involvement of feed and food business operators and Member States , in the control of the presence of 2-MCPD and 3-MCPD of 2-MCPD- and 3-MCPD- fatty acid esters and of glycidyl esters of fatty acids in food.