Detail

MOSH / MOAH- IJO FOOD GRADE bags and all is well?

The topic of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) in food is currently the subject of much discussion among experts (see also https://cr3-analytik.com/magazin/detail/mosh-moah-ab-sofort-anwendung-von-grenzwerten-durch-deutsche-behoerden-moeglich)

This often involves the identification of contamination pathways and impact minimization. In the case of coffee, the individual causes can be very diverse. Often mentioned are the mechanical harvesting and subsequent processing of green coffee as well as its storage and transportation at origin and in the consumer countries. Often Jute bags are used for the latter and it is a well-known fact, that they may contain significant amounts of MOSH and MOAH depending on the production process. Therefore, they can be a prominent source of contamination for stored and transported goods. Please bear in mind, that even if batches of coffee are not delivered to Europe in jute, it is possible that the coffee was stored and transported in jute bags over a long period of time.

Unfortunately, the so-called “FOOD GRADE” label, which is based on a specification of the now defunct “International Jute Organization” (IJO) from 1998, does not offer sufficient security against contamination (http://www.worldjute.com/diversification/diversification_food_grade_bags.html).

For the IJO classification, mineral oils are analysed according to a very simple and outdated method from the 1980s as the sum of unsaponifiable matter and the limit is arbitrarily set at 1250 mg/kg (jute). Apart from the fact that relevant cross-contamination can already be observed at much lower mineral oil contents, the important MOAH fraction, which is particularly critical in toxicological and regulatory terms, is not recorded with the necessary completeness and sensitivity using this method, let alone well characterized. The FOOD GRADE standard alone is therefore unsuitable for ensuring contaminant-free raw goods. We know from practical experience that even IJO FOOD GRADE classified bags often contain several hundred mg/kg of MOSH and MOAH. In order to ensure that supply chains are really free of MOAH-containing packaging, a thorough investigation of the causes and sampling at origin is required, flanked by state-of-the-art analytical methods.

If we can support you in this, please do not hesitate to contact us.