MOSH/MOAH
Fatty components in cosmetics, food and transport packaging materials and printing colors for packagings – mineral oil components such as MOSH/MOAH can be identified almost everywhere in the environment. They can infiltrate food of both plant and livestock origin in different ways, e.g. through migration. Both compounds, the mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and also the mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) are easily absorbed from food and can accumulate in body fat and organs. At present, it cannot be excluded that MOAH fractions may contain carcinogenic compounds. National governments, particularly ministries of food and agriculture, are pressing the EC for defining of maximum allowable concentrations of MOSH/MOAH in food and food packaging. Shimadzu’s MOSH/MOAH analyzer puts manufacturers of food and food packagings on the safe side. The MOSH/MOAH analyzer has been designed specifically for sensitive and fast detection of mineral oil contaminations based on the European Norm DIN EN 16995:2017. The system combines LC and GC technology with flame ionization detection (FID) for a highly efficient analysis covering preparation, pre-separation and automated processes.
MOSH/MOAH Analysis
Determination of Mineral Oil Residues in Dry Food
Rice and pasta and other grain- based food products including flour from different grain varieties are consumed in high amounts all over the world. The annual rice consumption per capita is over 54 kg per capita. The annual pasta consumption in Italy is 26 kg and approximately 8 kg in Germany. There is a high risk of contamination of rice and pasta through migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) from the packaging material to the food. The new LC-GC-FID online system provides a tool for fast and reliable routine analysis of MOSH and MOAH in dry non fatty food. After the extraction step the samples are analysed fully automated with a high sample throughput.
Determination of Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons in Rice and Noodles using LC-GC Online Technique
Food can get contaminated not only through direct contact with its packaging, but also along the entire production and commercial chain. Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) are chemical compounds derived mainly from crude oil, but also produced synthetically from coal, natural gas and biomass. MOH can be present in food through environmental contamination, lubricants for machinery used during harvesting and food production, processing aids, food additives and food contact materials. The LC-GC-FID provides a tool for fast and reliable routine analysis of mineral oil hydrocarbons, both MOSH and MOAH in dry non fatty food such as rice, noodles and flour.
How to choose the right sample preparation for Analysis of Mineral Oil Residues in Food
The analysis of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food needs for every type of food an adequate sample preparation. The analysis starts with the question, if contaminations only occur on the surface (via migration), or if MOH is also incorporated. Therefore, quantitative extraction of the mineral oil hydrocarbons from the matrix needs varying conditions and strategies. Depending on the matrix, long extraction times are used and extraction efficiency needs to be controlled for every matrix. The following application note helps choosing the right sample preparation.