Food-Grade Mineral Oil Contamination (MOSH/MOAH in Packaging, Dry Foods, Chocolate) — food safety profile
Low riskMineral oil hydrocarbons — MOSH (saturated) and MOAH (aromatic) — migrate from recycled cardboard packaging into dry foods (rice, pasta, cereals, chocolate, infant formula).
What is this product?
Mineral oil hydrocarbons — MOSH (saturated) and MOAH (aromatic) — migrate from recycled cardboard packaging into dry foods (rice, pasta, cereals, chocolate, infant formula). Source: newspaper printing inks in recycled fiber. MOAH: contains 3-7 ring polycyclic aromatic compounds — genotoxic concern. EFSA (2012): MOAH in food is a potential health concern. EU: proposed regulation with maximum levels (draft 2022, not yet finalized). No US FDA regulation or limit. German Federal Institute (BfR): recommends MOAH <0.5 mg/kg in food. Internal bags/liners: functional barrier preventing migration from outer cardboard to food — but many products lack this barrier. Chocolate: particularly affected (high fat content absorbs MOAH).
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Open in food View raw API dataReference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →