In an article published on July 4, 2016 the non-profit organization Foodwatch informs about a testing campaign in which the organization analyzed samples of chocolate products and potato chips for mineral oil residues. Foodwatch tested 15 different chocolate products (e.g. chocolate bars, cereal bars) and five different brands of potato chips commercially available at German retailers for content of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and detection of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). Eight out of the 20 products (7 chocolate, 1 chips) had moderate (> 2 ≤ 5 mg/kg) to high (> 5 mg /kg) MOSH contamination. In three chocolate products MOAH were detected; these products also had high MOSH contamination. Suspected sources of mineral oil contamination are primary and secondary food packaging made from recycled paper and board. Foodwatch calls for the setting of specific limit levels for minerals oils in food as well as for an EU-wide introduction of functional barriers for paper and board food packaging.
Already in October 2015, Foodwatch published a testing campaign measuring MOSH and MOAH contamination in 120 dry food products from Germany, France and the Netherlands packaged in paper or board (FPF reported). 83% of tested products contained MOSH and 43% contained MOAH. Foodwatch then launched an email petition to take action against mineral oils in food. In response to Foodwatch’s findings and the email petition, some affected food manufacturers announced to start deploying functional mineral oil barriers in their packaging and some retailers pulled affected products from their shelves (FPF reported).
Read more
Foodwatch (July 4, 2016). “Ferreros Kinder-Riegel im Test am stärksten mineralölbelastet.” (in German)
Reference
Foodwatch (2016). “Mineralöle in Schokolade und Chips.” (pdf; in German)
