Update of the risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food

Impact of deodorisation time and temperature on the removal of different MOAH structures: a lab-scale study on spiked coconut oil

Vegetable fats and oils are prone to contamination by mineral oil hydrocarbons due to the lipophilic and ubiquitous character of the latter. As the aromatic fraction of these hydrocarbons, MOAH, is associated with carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and detrimental effects on foetal development, finding strategies to limit or reduce their contamination is highly relevant. Deodorisation (i.e. a refining step) has shown the ability to remove MOAH < C25 in vegetable fats and oils, but there is little information about the structures removed. Therefore, the present study investigated the impact of deodorisation conditions on the removal of different structures of MOAH in spiked coconut oil. An inscribed central composite design was built with time and temperature as variables (0.5-4h, 150-240 °C), while pressure (3 mbar) and steam flow (1 g water/g oil per hour) were kept constant. The analysis of MOAH in the oil was performed using a fully automated liquid chromatography coupled with two parallel comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography systems with flame ionisation and time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection. Response surfaces plotting the MOAH loss according to time and temperature were built for different MOAH fractions. The latter were defined based on the number of aromatic rings (>3 or ≤3) and the number of carbon atoms present (C16-C20, C20-C24, C24-C35, C35-C40). It was found that at 200 °C, compounds < C24, including weakly alkylated triaromatics, could be reduced to below the limit of quantification, while at 230 °C, it was possible to remove >60% of the C24-C35 fraction, including pentaromatics of low alkylation.

A Study on Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons (MOH) Contamination in Pig Diets and Its Transfer to Back Fat and Loin Tissues

This study assessed saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) levels in grower-finisher feeds for pigs supplemented with 5% crude palm oil (CP), crude olive pomace oil (COP), olive pomace acid oil (OPA), or a blend of CP and OPA (50:50, w/w); the contribution of the lipid source to that contamination; and the ability of pigs to accumulate MOH in back fat and loin tissues after 60 days of trial. MOSH and MOAH were analyzed with liquid chromatography (LC)-gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionization detection (FID) after sample preparation. Among the lipid sources, CP had the lowest MOH levels, but CP feeds showed the highest contamination. This, along with the different MOSH profiles, indicated the presence of more significant contamination sources in the feeds than the lipid source. The higher MOH contamination in CP feeds was reflected in the highest MOSH levels in pig back fat, whereas MOAH were not detected in animal tissues. Also, MOSH bioaccumulation in pig tissues was influenced by the carbon chain length. In conclusion, feed manufacturing processes can determine the MOSH contamination present in animal adipose tissues that can be included in human diets.

Investigation of potential migratables from paper and board food contact materials

Since the ban on single-use plastic articles in Europe, the food contact material (FCM) industry has been forced to move to more sustainable alternatives. Paper and board FCM are convenient alternatives but must be safe for consumers. This study aims to investigate potential migrations of various substances (e.g., plasticizers, photoinitiators, primary aromatic amines, mineral oil, and bisphenols) from straws and takeaway articles made of paper and board. Twenty straws and fifty-eight takeaway articles were carefully selected and investigated using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry or flame ionization detector. Fourteen substances of all the targeted categories were found in takeaway articles, including seven plasticizers, two photoinitiators, one primary aromatic amine, two bisphenols, and the saturated and aromatic fraction of mineral oil (MOSH and MOAH, respectively). In straws, fewer substances were detected, i.e., six substances, including three plasticizers, one photoinitiator, MOSH, and MOAH. At least one of the target substances was detected in 88% of the samples, demonstrating the importance of further evaluation of these materials. Finally, the associated risks were assessed, highlighting the potential risks for several types of articles regarding bisphenol A, one primary aromatic amine (3.3-DMB), and MOSH and MOAH.

Plain Language Summary

This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal article: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8215.