Numerous recalls are imminent: the EU wants to pursue a zero-tolerance strategy
Created: 06/09/2022, 10:55 am
By: Charleen Deffner
They are found in almost all foods, although they are harmful to health: mineral oils.
A new EU limit could lead to recalls.
Berlin – More food safety in Europe.
In order to get one step closer to this goal, the European Union wants to introduce limit values for mineral oil contamination in food.
So-called "aromatic mineral oils" (MOHA) are suspected of being harmful to health.
Nevertheless, they are found in products such as flour, rice, chocolate or butter and many recalls could soon be imminent.
Consumer advocates such as the Foodwatch organization are calling for a total ban.
organization | food watch |
founding | 2002 |
Seat | Berlin |
Threat of more recalls due to the new EU limit value - mineral oils are very harmful to health
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), mineral oil components are present in almost all foods, although they are said to be carcinogenic and mutagenic.
As a result, consumers come into daily contact with the harmful substances.
Particularly dry foods such as
B. flour, semolina, rice, breadcrumbs, or even breakfast cereals can contain these contaminated mineral oils.
However, exposure to fatty products such as chocolate, butter, nuts or cooking oils is also possible.
A new upper limit should now counteract the mineral oil contamination and at least reduce the pollution.
This was decided by the responsible EU committee (PAFF Committee), as reported by RUHR24.
But what does that mean in concrete terms for the food sold?
Are there any recalls?
Do all products in circulation need to be inspected and recalled, like a popular candy recently?
The EU is introducing a new limit value, which could lead to a number of recalls.
© Jens Büttner/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/Archive image
EU decides new limit value – are supermarkets threatened with recalls?
Although the new regulation applies with immediate effect, it is not legally effective.
For the time being, each member state of the EU can decide for itself whether to apply the limit value and make it effective or not.
Conversely, this means that recalls do not have to come at short notice.
At the end of 2022, the EU food safety authority EFSA wants to publish a new assessment that comprehensively assesses the risk of mineral oils.
(More news on service topics at RUHR24).
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According to this new assessment, more countries could be encouraged to enforce the limit, which is recommended as follows:
For foods with a low fat/oil content of up to four percent, 0.5 mg/kg MOAH is the upper limit.
For foods with a higher fat/oil content of more than four percent, 1 mg/kg MOAH is the upper limit.
For foods such as fats and oils, 2 mg/kg MOAH is the upper limit.
EU decides new limit value for food - foodwatch demands more
At the end of 2021, the consumer protection organization "foodwatch" published laboratory analyzes on the levels of MOAH in food.
Only then did the EU PAFF Committee address this issue.
However, the recently decided limit value is not sufficient for foodwatch.
They call for a total ban on aromatic mineral oils in products.
"Although the health hazards of mineral oil contamination have been known for years, food giants such as Unilever, Danone and Nestlé have always downplayed the problem - and those responsible in Brussels and Berlin have looked on," says Saskia Reinbeck from foodwatch.
They are glad that EU experts are now also drawing attention to the problem, but only a zero-tolerance strategy would ban the dangerous mineral oils from our plates.
Such a zero-tolerance strategy would mean numerous recalls.
For this reason, they are calling on Federal Food Minister Cem Özdemir to enforce a Germany-wide and Europe-wide ban.
"All food companies must finally keep their products clean".
