From bouillon cube to chocolate, via spread: Foodwatch revealed on Thursday that one in eight tested products contained aromatic hydrocarbons of mineral oil (MOAH) "worrying" for health.

The consumer association analyzed 152 food products purchased in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria, and therefore found that 19 of them were "contaminated" by MOAH.

Aromatic hydrocarbons in mineral oils "are suspected of being carcinogenic and mutagenic," Foodwatch explains.

“Their influence on the functioning of the hormonal system - endocrine disruptors - has also been demonstrated,” adds the organization.

🔬 The new foodwatch tests are clear: on these references @KnorrFrance, @Jardin_BiO, Fruit d'Or and @AUCHAN_France, products are contaminated by toxic petroleum derivatives, aromatic hydrocarbons from mineral oils (MOAH).

https://t.co/htijebvrtc

- foodwatch France (@foodwatch_fr) December 9, 2021

A risk "throughout the production chain"

The association points out that "the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established that any exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons through food presents a danger".

If the sources of contamination are considered difficult to identify, the association nevertheless considers that the risk is present "throughout the production chain for all food products".

Indeed, these oils are for example used "as anti-dust binders, lubricants in production machines, as mold release agents, as polishing agents or in adhesives", explains Foodwatch.

Foodwatch advocates zero tolerance

On the occasion of these new revelations, Foodwatch calls for "regulations which impose zero tolerance for MOAHs in all foods throughout Europe".

In 2015, it already revealed that 6 products out of 10 tested, including rice, couscous, lentils, corn-flakes, or even pasta, presented "a carcinogenic risk linked to MOAH".

In 2019, Foodwatch showed that out of 16 baby milks purchased in France, Germany and the Netherlands, half contained “a worrying amount of MOAH”.

In reaction, the European Commission decided, in June 2020, to establish an MOAH threshold for infant formula.

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  • Hydrocarbons

  • Food

  • Health

  • Consumption

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