Mineral oil hydrocarbons in food remain a central topic for the packaging industry. In our web seminar Mineral Oil/MOSH/MOAH Migration – Current Status, presenter Heike Schwertke provided a comprehensive overview of sources, analytics, assessment, and current regulatory developments.
This article summarizes the key insights for you in a compact form.
What are MOSH, MOAH and POSH?
Mineral oil hydrocarbons are essentially divided into two groups:
- MOSH (Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons)
→ saturated hydrocarbons, partially accumulating in the body - MOAH (Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons)
→ aromatic compounds, particularly those with multiple rings are of health concern - POSH (Polyolefin Oligomeric Saturated Hydrocarbons)
→ originating from plastics, chemically similar to MOSH
An important point from the web seminar:
In analytics, MOSH and POSH often cannot be clearly distinguished and are therefore frequently assessed together.
Where do mineral oil contaminations come from?
A key learning:
Packaging is only one of many possible sources of entry.
Typical contamination pathways are:
- Packaging materials
- Recycled cardboard (e.g. from newspaper printing)
- Printing inks
- Adhesives
- Production & Processing
- Machine oils, release agents
- Cleaning agents
- Transport & Storage
- e.g. jute sacks (known cause from practical cases)
- Raw materials / Environment
- e.g. natural waxes or environmental entries
Particularly relevant: Migration frequently occurs via the gas phase, especially from recycled cardboard.
Analytics: Complex, but established
The analysis of MOSH/MOAH typically takes place in several steps:
- Extraction from food or material
- Pre-separation into MOSH and MOAH fractions
- Determination by gas chromatography
Characteristic are so-called “hump chromatograms”, as these are complex substance mixtures.
Important findings from the web seminar:
- Migration tests with simulants can significantly overestimate results
- Real tests in food (e.g. at the end of shelf life) are often more meaningful
- The MOSH/MOAH ratio can provide indications of the source
Assessment & Toxicology: MOAH in focus
The risk assessment clearly distinguishes between MOSH and MOAH:
MOSH
- According to current knowledge no general health concern at typical intake levels
- Accumulation in the body (e.g. liver) possible → further research needed
MOAH
- potentially carcinogenic, especially with ≥ 3 aromatic rings
- clear priority for minimization
The current EFSA assessment confirms:
MOAH represents the greater risk and is therefore the regulatory focus.
Regulatory Developments: New limit values in sight
A particularly relevant update:
- The EU is working on specific maximum levels for MOAH in food
- Limit values are to be introduced in stages by product groups
- Planned target values (depending on fat content):
- approx. 0.5 mg/kg (low-fat)
- approx. 1 mg/kg (medium)
- approx. 2 mg/kg (high-fat)
Additionally:
- France has already introduced strict requirements for printing inks
- Focus here is on reducing entries into recycling loops
How can mineral oil entries be reduced?
The good news: There are effective measures.
Technical Solutions
- Use of suitable barriers (e.g. aluminum, EVOH, PET)
- Optimization of packaging structures
- Avoidance of mineral oil-based printing inks
Process-related Measures
- Selection of suitable raw materials
- Control of lubricants and auxiliaries
- Optimization of storage and transport conditions
Crucial Point
Polyolefins (e.g. PE) do not act as barriers, but can even absorb mineral oils – an important practical aspect.
Typical Practical Questions – and how to answer them
From the seminar, particularly relevant for daily practice:
- “Is the packaging mineral oil-free?”
→ Better: “no intentional use” and analytics below detection limits - “What measures exist for minimization?”
→ Barriers, raw material control, packaging design - “What limit values apply?”
→ Combination of legal requirements and internal specifications
Practical tip:
Establishing specifications with reference values creates clarity in the supply chain.
Conclusion: High complexity – clear fields of action
The web seminar has shown:
- Mineral oil contamination is a multifactorial problem
- Packaging plays an important, but not sole role
- MOAH remains the critical parameter
- Regulation is becoming significantly more concrete
👉 Crucial for companies:
- Holistic consideration of the supply chain
- Technically sound barrier concepts
- Clear internal assessment standards