Is food from cardboard packaging safe to eat because of mineral oils?

1. Cardboard food such as rice, pasta and cornflakes is safe to eat. Recycled paper is often used to make cardboard. From an environmental point of view, this is a great way of recycling, but there are a number of risks to be aware of when using it for food packaging.

Recycled packaging material

1. Recycled paper is often used to make cardboard food packaging. The recycled paper may contain contaminants, for example mineral oils from newspaper ink. If food such as rice is in contact with the cardboard for a long time, small amounts of these contaminants can get into it.

Is packaging with mineral oils dangerous?

1. Cardboard packaging makes only a small contribution to the total intake of mineral oils, according to research by the RIVM in 2018. Leaving cardboard packaging alone would therefore only have a limited effect.

1. Mineral oils: MOSH and MOAH

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1. Mineral oils are obtained from petroleum. Mineral oils consist of MOSH (mineral oils of saturated hydrocarbons) and MOAH (mineral oils of aromatic hydrocarbons). Not all mineral oils are harmful. Some mineral oils can be consciously added to food in a pure form. MOSH and many MOAH are non-carcinogenic, but there are types of MOAH that are concerned as they may be carcinogenic.

Research on MOSH and MOAH

1. In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) looked at the risk of mineral oils in packaging materials. They found that small amounts of these substances can be present in products such as rice or bread. They concluded that there is a potential risk. RIVM investigated this further in 2018. This research not only looked at products in cardboard packaging, but at intake via all the food. MOSH In the limited number of studies on MOSH that have been published since 2012, the concern of EFSA is somewhat watered down, according to the RIVM study. According to RIVM calculations, no health effects can be expected if people ingest MOSH through food. MOAH The RIVM indicates that the results are less clear for MOAH. Some MOAH are carcinogenic if you take too much of them. At the moment, however, it is not possible to indicate whether people are consuming too much MOAH, because there is no health-based standard for MOAH. Sources of MOAH are mostly unknown. According to the RIVM, the sources of MOAH should be traced. Then measures can be taken to avoid harmful sources as much as possible. Cardboard packaging is therefore a well-known source, but only makes a small contribution. More research on MOAH is needed.

2. In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) looked at the risk of mineral oils in packaging materials. They found that small amounts of these substances can be present in products such as rice or bread. They concluded that there is a potential risk. RIVM investigated this further in 2018. This research not only looked at products in cardboard packaging, but at intake via all the food. MOSH In the limited number of studies on MOSH that have been published since 2012, the concern of EFSA is somewhat watered down, according to the RIVM study. According to RIVM calculations, no health effects can be expected if people ingest MOSH through food. MOAH The RIVM indicates that the results are less clear for MOAH. Some MOAH are carcinogenic if you take too much of them. However, it is currently not possible to indicate whether people consume too much MOAH, because there is no health standard for MOAH. Sources of MOAH are mostly unknown. According to the RIVM, the sources of MOAH should be traced. Then measures can be taken to avoid harmful sources as much as possible. Cardboard packaging is therefore a well-known source, but only makes a small contribution. More research on MOAH is needed.