This is the latest "health scandal 'to date: Lesieur have sold a whole lot of sunflower oil contaminated with mineral oil. The media have pushed mayonnaise or are there really oil the wheels? LaNutrition.fr back on the case not very clear and tells you what are the potential risks to your health.
The biscuits, fish dishes, sauces ... that we would eat they would innocently full of oil? The question is serious since the revelations "a fraud organized by some Ukrainian suppliers, mineral oil has been incorporated in small quantities in oil sunflower" in the words of Chief Operating Officer of Lesieur France .
Little reminders of the facts
A story has ignited many newspapers and blogs in recent weeks: the contaminated sunflower oil had been incorporated to produce food. But how is this possible? The story begins in Ukraine, the second largest producer of sunflower oil in the world with over 15% of world production. During February, the Ukraine has sent 40 000 tonnes of sunflower oil in a large wholesaler, Saipol, which has among other Lesieur, who has sold thousands of tons of sunflower oil in several European countries. Problem: this oil has been contaminated with mineral oil before being shipped to Saipol, as the analysis subsequently revealed. Of the 40 000 tonnes which would have affected 13 countries, 50,000 were sold in France.
Alerted by Saipol late April, the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) investigated the contamination of sunflower oil. Verdict: oil does contain paraffin, mineral oil obtained by distillation of substances such as oil. They serve mainly as lubricants after mechanical additions of additives. European authorities seized of the matter.
In late June, the verdict of the European Commission grave: she prefers the implementation of certain measures to embargo. The Ukraine will have to develop a system of inspection and certification. Each import into the EU will then be accompanied by the results of the tests on products. For their part, Member States of the EU will be charged "to sample and analyze each consignment of sunflower oil offered for import from the Ukraine.
Greek reaction
In Greece, the case caused a stir and all the oil imported from Ukraine on 1 January 2008 has been withdrawn from sale. So they not only stopped the sale of any adulterated products but also all products which might have been since the beginning of the year.
New twist in the case of adulterated oil to Ukraine June 27: French authorities prohibit the marketing of products deemed non-compliant. Reason: the consumer is cheated on the quality of the products he buys. Thus, all products from shelves in late April were withdrawn from sale. This marketing ban is not based on risk to health but the quality of oil.
There's there a health risk?
We consume mineral oil daily in small proportions. This consumption is due to migration of components of mineral oil containers (cans, protection of fruit ...) to the food itself. JT. Heimbach, American researcher believes that we are exposed to 0.875mg/kg by body weight per day of mineral oil which 0.044mg paraffin.
The oil causes the evacuation of parts necessary to the body: vitamins, minerals and trace elements will dissolve in it and not pass into the blood. It is also advisable to heat the paraffin oil because of the toxicity of oil from which it emerged. In addition, taking too much mineral oil can cause diarrhea, severe vitamin deficiencies and may be dangerous to health.
Sunflower oil in our dishes
Over 20% of vegetable oil is consumed as food products containing less than 10% vegetable oil. According to a study by the CREDOC in 1998-1999, many foods contain sunflower oil. These foods and the average proportion of sunflower oil they contain have been identified: biscuit type cookie (20%), pastries, meats (up 50%), fish, salted crisps (36%), food compounds oils, margarines, sauces and condiments such as mayonnaise (76 %)...
As we are mostly exposed daily to mineral oil, there is a tolerable daily intake (ADI) is 10 to 20mg/kg body weight / d for the case of mineral oil as it either medium or high viscosity.
Moreover, mineral oil found on our plates has not been additions of additives that would have received if it was meant to lubricate mechanical engine. The paraffin oil is not that dangerous after European authorities ...
EFSA used the highest recorded level of contamination, or 2,000 mg of mineral oil per kg of sunflower oil to determine the toxicity of the tainted oil. A person consumes 60kg theoretically 60g vegetable oil daily. A person who ingested tainted oil has consumed more than 1.2 g of mineral oil daily, which represents less than 20% of ADI. The contaminated sunflower oil is not a public health problem because it is not considered "toxic acute.
When consuming food products containing less than 10% of sunflower oil, mineral oil represents only 1 to 2% of the ADI. This may represent up to 7.5% for a child's large consumer products containing oil. Thus, these products would not pose a problem for our health ...
The biscuits, fish dishes, sauces ... that we would eat they would innocently full of oil? The question is serious since the revelations "a fraud organized by some Ukrainian suppliers, mineral oil has been incorporated in small quantities in oil sunflower" in the words of Chief Operating Officer of Lesieur France .
Little reminders of the facts
A story has ignited many newspapers and blogs in recent weeks: the contaminated sunflower oil had been incorporated to produce food. But how is this possible? The story begins in Ukraine, the second largest producer of sunflower oil in the world with over 15% of world production. During February, the Ukraine has sent 40 000 tonnes of sunflower oil in a large wholesaler, Saipol, which has among other Lesieur, who has sold thousands of tons of sunflower oil in several European countries. Problem: this oil has been contaminated with mineral oil before being shipped to Saipol, as the analysis subsequently revealed. Of the 40 000 tonnes which would have affected 13 countries, 50,000 were sold in France.
Alerted by Saipol late April, the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) investigated the contamination of sunflower oil. Verdict: oil does contain paraffin, mineral oil obtained by distillation of substances such as oil. They serve mainly as lubricants after mechanical additions of additives. European authorities seized of the matter.
In late June, the verdict of the European Commission grave: she prefers the implementation of certain measures to embargo. The Ukraine will have to develop a system of inspection and certification. Each import into the EU will then be accompanied by the results of the tests on products. For their part, Member States of the EU will be charged "to sample and analyze each consignment of sunflower oil offered for import from the Ukraine.
Greek reaction
In Greece, the case caused a stir and all the oil imported from Ukraine on 1 January 2008 has been withdrawn from sale. So they not only stopped the sale of any adulterated products but also all products which might have been since the beginning of the year.
New twist in the case of adulterated oil to Ukraine June 27: French authorities prohibit the marketing of products deemed non-compliant. Reason: the consumer is cheated on the quality of the products he buys. Thus, all products from shelves in late April were withdrawn from sale. This marketing ban is not based on risk to health but the quality of oil.
There's there a health risk?
We consume mineral oil daily in small proportions. This consumption is due to migration of components of mineral oil containers (cans, protection of fruit ...) to the food itself. JT. Heimbach, American researcher believes that we are exposed to 0.875mg/kg by body weight per day of mineral oil which 0.044mg paraffin.
The oil causes the evacuation of parts necessary to the body: vitamins, minerals and trace elements will dissolve in it and not pass into the blood. It is also advisable to heat the paraffin oil because of the toxicity of oil from which it emerged. In addition, taking too much mineral oil can cause diarrhea, severe vitamin deficiencies and may be dangerous to health.
Sunflower oil in our dishes
Over 20% of vegetable oil is consumed as food products containing less than 10% vegetable oil. According to a study by the CREDOC in 1998-1999, many foods contain sunflower oil. These foods and the average proportion of sunflower oil they contain have been identified: biscuit type cookie (20%), pastries, meats (up 50%), fish, salted crisps (36%), food compounds oils, margarines, sauces and condiments such as mayonnaise (76 %)...
As we are mostly exposed daily to mineral oil, there is a tolerable daily intake (ADI) is 10 to 20mg/kg body weight / d for the case of mineral oil as it either medium or high viscosity.
Moreover, mineral oil found on our plates has not been additions of additives that would have received if it was meant to lubricate mechanical engine. The paraffin oil is not that dangerous after European authorities ...
EFSA used the highest recorded level of contamination, or 2,000 mg of mineral oil per kg of sunflower oil to determine the toxicity of the tainted oil. A person consumes 60kg theoretically 60g vegetable oil daily. A person who ingested tainted oil has consumed more than 1.2 g of mineral oil daily, which represents less than 20% of ADI. The contaminated sunflower oil is not a public health problem because it is not considered "toxic acute.
When consuming food products containing less than 10% of sunflower oil, mineral oil represents only 1 to 2% of the ADI. This may represent up to 7.5% for a child's large consumer products containing oil. Thus, these products would not pose a problem for our health ...
No comments:
Post a Comment