According to the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, “consumers are exposed to a range of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) via food.  Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) consist of linear and branched alkanes, and alkyl-substituted cyclo-alkanes, whilst mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) include mainly alkyl-substituted polyaromatic hydrocarbons“. And major sources of MOH in food are food packaging and additives, processing aids, and lubricants. Problem: they are mutagenic and carcinogenic, meaning that they can provoke mutations and induce cancer. Some of them  have a strong impact on the liver.

So the European Commission, knowing that it is quite dangerous, has decided to place under surveillance until 2019 18 types of products, including animal fat (butter…), bread and pastries, chocolate and candies, fish meat, ice-creams and desserts, pasta, sausages, certain fruits, vegetable oils…  Member States have to check how much MOH there are in our food, because the first figures given by some countries are really bad, showing that  we are in danger.

Now we are going to wait and then take some minor measures, because the food industry would not like to add a protective film in their cardboard boxes, or take other protective and expensive measures to avoid the contamination of their customers. So you can already avoid the cardboard packages without additional protection inside, eat food from the markets, or without packaging, and you will wait for the decisions in 3 or 4 years…

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: European Union, Food safety, Health, Mineral oil hydrocarbons