Food contamination by hydrocarbons from lubricating oils and release agents: determination by coupled LC-GC.
We have found that many foods are contaminated with mineral oil products used as lubricating oils/greases or as release agents. The mineral oil base of such products usually consists of branched alkanes ranging between C17 and C35. It forms a broad 'hump' of unresolved compounds in the gas chromatogram. Examples of such products are described; contamination is shown for a sample of bread, bonbon, and chocolate, respectively. The results suggest that contamination of foodstuffs with mineral oils does not always receive the required attention. However, there is also a lack of guidelines.
Grob
K
K
Kantonales Labor, Zürich, Switzerland.
Artho
A
A
Biedermann
M
M
Egli
J
J
D001939:Bread / Q000032:analysis; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry; D002182:Candy / Q000032:analysis; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D008899:Mineral Oil / Q000737:chemistry*; D010577:Petrolatum / Q000737:chemistry
D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010577:Petrolatum; D008899:Mineral Oil