Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography for characterizing mineral oils in foods and distinguishing them from synthetic hydrocarbons

Optimization of sample clean-up for the determination of small amounts of MOSH and MOAH in edible oils - method DGF C-VI 22 (20)

Methods for determining MOSH and MOAH in edible oils showed major problems with interlaboratory comparability of analytical results, especially in the lower concentration range below 10 mg/kg. However, a method with improved sensitivity and reproducibility is urgently needed to obtain a valid data basis for minimization efforts. To cope this problem a new method was created in 2020. The method was established as the standard method DGF C-VI 22 (20) of the German Society for Fat Science e.V. (DGF). For the development of this method different sample epoxidation approaches have been performed, evaluated and improved. Additionally, a saponification, a decision tree for sample preparation, an upstream clean-up column and a system suitability test were introduced. The focus was on reliability and interlaboratory comparability over all edible oil matrices up to a LOQ of 1 mg/kg. The optimized method was validated in terms of trueness and precision in a collaborative trail with 11 laboratories. The achieved recovery rates of 89-105% MOSH and 70-105% MOAH met the JRC requirements. Method and validation results were obtained with HorRat values between 1.3 and 1.8 for MOSH and MOAH.

Evaluating microbial contaminations of alternative heating oils

Since 2008, European and German legislative initiatives for climate protection and reduced dependency on fossil resources led to the introduction of biofuels as CO2-reduced alternatives in the heating oil sector. In the case of biodiesel, customers were confronted with accelerated microbial contaminations during storage. Since then, other fuel alternatives, like hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVOs), gas-to-liquid (GtL) products, or oxymethylene ether (OME) have been developed. In this study, we use online monitoring of microbial CO2 production and the simulation of onset of microbial contamination to investigate the contamination potential of fuel alternatives during storage. As references, fossil heating oil of German refineries are used. Biodiesel blends with fossil heating oils confirmed the promotion of microbial activity. In stark contrast, OMEs have an antimicrobial effect. The paraffinic Fischer-Tropsch products and biogenic hydrogenation products demonstrate to be at least as resistant to microbial contamination as fossil heating oils despite allowing a diversity of representative microbes. Through mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and microbial sequencing, we can discuss fuel properties that affect microbial contaminations. In summary, novel, non-fossil heating oils show clear differences in microbial resistance during long-term storage. Designing blends with an intrinsic resistance against microbial contamination and hence reduced activity might be an option.

The role of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography in mineral oil determination

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) contain a wide structural diversity of molecules, for which the reference method of analysis is the online coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (LC-GC-FID). These compounds are very heterogeneous from a toxicological viewpoint, and an accurate risk assessment when dealing with a MOH contamination can only be performed if sufficient information is available on the types of structures present (i.e., number of carbons, degree of alkylation, number of aromatic rings). Unfortunately, the separation performances of the current LC-GC-FID method are insufficient for such characterization, not even mentioning the possible coelution of interfering compounds which additionally hinder MOH determination. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC), while mostly used for confirmation purposes in the past, starts to prove its relevance for overcoming the weaknesses of the LC-GC method and reaching even better the analytical requirements defined in the latest EFSA opinion. The present paper therefore aims at highlighting how GC × GC has contributed to the understanding of the MOH topic, how it has developed to meet the requirements of MOH determination, and how it could play a role in the field for overcoming many of the current analytical and toxicological challenges related to the topic.

A study on the impact of harvesting operations on the mineral oil contamination of olive oils

During the 2020-21 olive oil campaign, the contribution of harvesting operations to mineral oil saturated (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbon (MOAH) contamination was studied. Oils extracted from hand-picked olives (15 different olive groves) generally had background MOSH (<2.7 mg/kg), and no quantifiable MOAH. In 40% of the cases, an important contamination increase was observed after harvesting operations. Except for one sample (325.8 and 111.0 mg/kg of MOSH and MOAH, respectively), other samples reached 4.3-33.7 mg/kg of MOSH and 1.1-11.3 mg/kg of MOAH. Accidental leaks of lubricants and/or contact with lubricated mechanical parts, were identified as important sources of contamination. Chromatographic traces obtained by on-line high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionization detection (FID) allowed for source identification. A comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatographic platform (GC × GC) with parallel FID/MS detection was implemented for confirmation and to attempt the characterization of the contaminations. Good harvesting practices are suggested to minimize contamination risks.

Automated workflow utilizing saponification and improved epoxidation for the sensitive determination of mineral oil saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils and fats

Refined edible oils and fats are known to contain olefins resisting the typical epoxidation used for the sample preparation of mineral oil saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOSH and MOAH). These olefins can be misinterpreted as MOAH and are therefore an important reason for inconsistent results between laboratories. Collaborative trials confirm this assumption for low MOAH contents near the quantitation limits regularly. In the scope of this work, a new epoxidation approach was developed. Persistent olefins in refined oils could be successfully epoxidized with performic acid. The reaction kinetics was investigated using model substances for biogenic olefins and MOAH. It was rationalized why certain olefins resist epoxidation and which MOAH can potentially get lost. A prominent peak cluster in the MOAH fraction of refined palm oils could be identified by means of GC-MS and explained why it cannot be epoxidized. Based upon this, an automated and streamlined workflow for sample preparation and analysis was composed tackling major problems identified in previously published methods. Optimized and miniaturized saponification, extraction, epoxidation, and enrichment paired with online LC-GC-FID led to a robust method that was tested and validated for edible oils and fats (RSD_R < 7% for MOSH and MOAH at values of 14.9 and 2.1 mg/kg, respectively). Due to increased sample amount and minimized blank values, quantitation limits below 1 mg/kg for MOSH and MOAH were achieved. The trueness of the method was verified by analyzing collaborative trial samples.

Determining MOSH and MOAH with High Sensitivity in Vegetable Oil─A New, Reliable, and Comparable Approach Using Online LC-GC-FID─Evaluation of Method Precision Data

A method for the analysis of saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) has been developed to improve interlaboratory precisions especially for amounts below 10 mg/kg. This approach was adopted as the standard method DGF C-VI 22 (20) of the German Society of Fat Sciences. Therefore, this method was evaluated on different edible oils containing a variety of interfering biogenic substances. The precision data were determined in an interlaboratory trial with an international group of 14 laboratories from Germany, Austria, and Italy. Good reproducible relative standard deviations for total MOSH (12.5-20.7%) and total MOAH (12.4-39.5%) as well as HorRat values ranging between 1.1 and 2.3 for total MOSH and between 0.9 and 2.6 for total MOAH have been achieved. As some matrices showed residual interferences in the MOAH fraction, these substances were further analyzed by online high-performance liquid chromatography-comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography with time of flight mass detection.

A Fast and Automated Strategy for the Identification and Risk Assessment of Unknown Substances (IAS/NIAS) in Plastic Food Contact Materials by GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS: Recycled LDPE as a Proof-of-Concept

A fast and automated approach has been developed for the tentative identification and risk assessment of unknown substances in plastic food contact materials (FCM) by GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS. The proposed approach combines GC-HRMS full scan data acquisition coupled to Compound Discoverer™ 3.2 software for automated data processing and compound identification. To perform the tentative identification of the detected features, a restrictive set of identification criteria was used, including matching with the NIST Mass Spectral Library, exact mass of annotated fragments, and retention index calculation. After the tentative identification, a risk assessment of the identified substances was performed by using the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach. This strategy has been applied to recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which could be used as FCM, as a proof-of-concept demonstration. In the analyzed sample, 374 features were detected, of which 83 were tentatively identified after examination of the identification criteria. Most of these were additives, such as plasticizers, used in a wide variety of plastic applications, oligomers of LDPE, and substances with chemical, industrial, or cosmetic applications. The risk assessment was performed and, according to the TTC approach, the obtained results showed that there was no risk associated with the release of the identified substances. However, complementary studies related to the toxicity of the unidentified substances and the potential mixture toxicity (cocktail effects) should be conducted in parallel using bioassays.

Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP) and Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatography (APGC) coupled to Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (QTOF-MS) as alternative techniques to trace aromatic markers of mineral oils in food packaging

The aim of this work was to select and identify the best markers of aromatic hydrocarbon mineral oil (MOAH) in food packaging. For this purpose, a series of mineral oils was initially analysed. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the alkylated isomers of Methylnaphthalene (MNS), Diisopropylnaphtalene (DIPNs), Dibenzothiophenes (DBTS), Methyldibenzothiophene (MDBTs), Dimethyldibenzothiophenes (DMDBTs) and Benzonaphthiophenes (BNTS) were then explored. Their presence was confirmed by direct analysis of several mineral oils by Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (ASAP-QTOF-MS). Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatography Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (APGC-QTOF-MS) was used to confirm the markers in different samples of oils, recycled PET (rPET), recycled cardboard and packaging of couscous and semolina to confirm the contamination. 27 markers were found in the mineral oil samples, 22 of them in rPET, 8 in recycled board and no MOAH were found in packaging of couscous and semolina.

Migration of food contact substances into dry foods: A review

A comprehensive review of the literature was performed on migration of substances from packaging materials into dry foods, specifically those with surfaces containing no free fats or oils. Historically, migration from food packaging to dry foods has been assumed to be minimal. However, several recent publications have reported concentrations of migrants into dry foods that are substantially higher than anticipated. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of recent studies that examined migration to dry foods or dry food simulants, observe and assess common migrants, and report the highest migration values. Focusing on the packaging materials and migrants that exhibit the highest migration values, this review divided the studies into two categories: 1) analysis of food products in commercial packaging taken directly from grocery store shelves, and 2) analysis of food products and food simulants in contact with packaging or other material fortified with known quantities of a migrant. Discussions include the examination of migration testing methods, viability of different food simulants, and variables that affect migration behaviour. These include the physicochemical properties of both the migrant and food (i.e. volatility, molecular size, structure, food composition and particle size) and factors pertaining to the packaging material and the environment (i.e. temperature, humidity, and the presence of a secondary barrier). Information gaps and remaining questions are also identified and discussed.

Characterisation of Elastomers as Food Contact Materials-Part 1: Quantification of Extractable Compounds, Swelling of Elastomers in Food Simulants and Release of Elements

Elastomers are not a uniform class of materials but comprise a broad spectrum of chemically different polymers. Sealing gaskets, gloves, teats, conveyor belts and tubing are examples of elastomers being used as food contact materials (FCMs). Ten elastomer samples were evaluated with respect to the content of extractable compounds, migration of substances into ethanolic food simulants, swelling in food simulants and release of elements in different food simulants. The number of extractable substances <1000 Da was determined by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with flame ionisation detection (GC × GC-FID) analysis of tetrahydrofuran (THF) extracts. The number of signals ranged from 61 (a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)) to 690 (a natural rubber/styrene-butadiene-rubber blend (NR/SBR)). As for risk assessment, the decisive factor is which substances reach the food. The extent of substances that migrate into ethanolic food simulants was investigated. Elastomer FCMs can be the source of food contamination with heavy metals. Notably, contamination with lead was detected in some samples investigated in this study. It was shown that food simulants harbour the potential to morphologically alter or even disintegrate elastomeric materials. The results presented here highlight the importance to carefully choose the elastomer type for the intended use as FCMs as not every application may prove safe for consumers.

Epoxidation for the analysis of the mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons in food. An update

On-line coupled high performance liquid chromatography-gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (HPLC-GC-FID) used for determining mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) in foods, particularly in certain oils and fats, may be disturbed by interfering olefins present as natural food components or resulting from raffination of the oils and fats. While some interference can be coped with by disregarding their peaks, others overload GC to the extent of obscuring the MOAH or form humps which need to be distinguished from the hump formed by the MOAH. In the latter cases, it is necessary to remove these interferences prior to HPLC-GC analysis. So far, epoxidation of the olefins to increase their retention time beyond that of the MOAH in HPLC is the best method available, though imperfect by causing some loss of MOAH and sometimes incomplete removal of the interference. Two methods are re-evaluated; preference is given to a slightly modified version of that proposed by Nestola and Schmidt. The performances are comparable: the losses of MOAH are similar and with both methods not all interfering olefins may be removed from refined edible oils. However, the Nestola/Schmidt method has practical advantages, the main ones being that no cooling is necessary and no solvent needs to be evaporated, which facilitates automation. Potential residual interferences must be recognized and subtracted, which can be by the characteristics of the hump they form in HPLC-GC-FID, by GCxGC-FID or by GCxGC-MS using characteristic mass fragments.

Mineral oil in food, cosmetic products, and in products regulated by other legislations

For a few years, mineral oils and their potential adverse health effects have been a constant issue of concern in many regulatory areas such as food, cosmetics, other consumer products, and industrial chemicals. Analytically, two fractions can be distinguished: mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). This paper aims at assessing the bioaccumulative potential and associated histopathological effects of MOSH as well as the carcinogenic potential of MOAH for consumer-relevant mineral oils. It also covers the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of MOSH and MOAH upon oral and dermal exposures. The use and occurrence of consumer-relevant, highly refined mineral oils in food, cosmetics and medicinal products are summarized, and estimates for the exposure of consumers are provided. Also addressed are the challenges in characterizing the substance identity of mineral oil products under REACH. Evidence from more recent autopsy and biopsy studies, along with information on decreasing food contamination levels, indicates a low risk for adverse hepatic lesions that may arise from the retention of MOSH in the liver. With respect to MOAH, at present there is no indication of any carcinogenic effects in animals dermally or orally exposed to highly refined mineral oils and waxes. Such products are used not only in cosmetics but also in medicinal products and as additives in food contact materials. The safety of these mineral oil-containing products is thus indirectly documented by their prevalent and long-term use, with a simultaneous lack of clinical and epidemiological evidence for adverse health effects.

Evaluating the risk to humans from mineral oils in foods: Current state of the evidence

Key issues around the evaluation of risks to humans from mineral oils in food and feedstuffs are discussed. MOHs (MOAH and MOSH) occur in food due to intentional use, contamination from environmental sources and during transport/processing, or through migration from food contact materials. Problems in setting and enforcing human health guidelines for MOH include uncertainty around MOH toxicity and the specialist expertise needed for analysis of complex food matrices. Currently, the method of choice for measuring mineral oils is LC-GC-FID, however some complex food matrices also require additional analytical techniques to differentiate between some naturally occurring hydrocarbons and those from other sources, including of petrogenic origin. This requires the skills of an experienced analyst. Significant toxicological gaps for MOHs prevent robust human health risk assessment and the derivation of guidance values. As food-grade mineral oils are virtually MOAH-free, the key issue explored here is the relevance to humans of liver (micro)granulomas observed in F344 rats following oral intake. Available data suggest that despite the ubiquitous nature of MOH in the human diet, the prevalence of liver lipogranulomas in the population is low. These are not associated with inflammation and based on current evidence are not considered of human health significance.

Mineral oil hydrocarbons in foods: is the data reliable?

The contamination of foods with mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) is a serious concern, requiring in most cases tedious mitigation measures that span across the whole food supply chain. A major issue today is the significant variability of the results generated by laboratories. This study was therefore designed to achieve a deeper insight into the analytical procedures used by commercial laboratories, identifying possible gaps and suggesting improvements that will enhance the reliability of the MOH data, an important prerequisite for risk assessment. In total six different food matrices, i.e. infant formula (IF), cocoa butter, cocoa powder, biscuits, fruit-based baby food containing biscuit and roast and ground coffee were subjected to comparative inter-laboratory studies, as well as one vegetable oil analysed within the frame of a professionally conducted proficiency test. The results indicate that on some matrices with possibly low amounts of MOH contamination, the current methodologies cannot reliably conclude whether or not a food sample is indeed contaminated with mineral oils (<10 mg/kg food). Urgently needed are: (i) an aligned and fully validated sample preparation strategy tested on a range of different food matrices; (ii) a confirmation of positive flame ionisation detection (FID) results by confirmatory methods such as mass spectrometry - in line with the CEN Standard and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Guidance Document, (iii) a more detailed root-cause analysis in the reports of laboratories through the use of mineral oil markers, and (iv) a fully validated official method for the concerned foods with a limit of application <10 mg/kg food.

Advantages of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography for comprehensive analysis of potential migrants from food contact materials

All substances migrating from food contact materials (FCMs), such as packagings, into food must be safe. This presupposes comprehensive analysis of all constituents potentially reaching a concentration in food that may be of toxicological concern. There is no single technique meeting this task and usually several need to be combined. In many cases, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) is the best technique available to start with. It provides high resolution and an overview in well-structured plots, grouping similar substances in a manner facilitating identifications. Further, flame ionization detection (FID) enables approximate quantitation without standards, and electron impact (EI) fragmentation in mass spectrometry (MS) provides access to large libraries for identification. GC is limited in amenable molecular mass, but the characterization of the lower mass constituents is usually helpful also for the identification of higher mass ones by techniques like HPLC-MS. The scope of this paper is to advocate the use of GCxGC for comprehensive migrate analysis, based on advantages illustrated by examples.

Analytical Methods for the Determination of Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH) and Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH)-A Short Review

Mineral oils (such as paraffinum liquidum or white oil), which consist of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH), are widely applied in various consumer products such as medicines and cosmetics. Contamination of food with mineral oil may occur by migration of mineral oil containing products from packaging materials, or during the food production process, as well as by environmental contamination during agricultural production. Considerable analytical interest was initiated by the potential adverse health effects, especially carcinogenic effects of some aromatic hydrocarbons. This article reviews the history of mineral oil analysis, starting with gravimetric and photometric methods, followed by on-line-coupled liquid chromatography with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection (LC-GC-FID), which still is considered as gold standard for MOSH-MOAH analysis. Comprehensive tables of applications in the fields of cosmetics, foods, food contact materials, and living organisms are provided. Further methods including GCxGC-MS methods are reviewed, which may be suitable for confirmation of LC-GC-FID results and identification of compound classes. As alternative to chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has recently been suggested for MOSH-MOAH analysis, especially with the possibility of detecting only the toxicologically relevant aromatic rings. Furthermore, NMR may offer potential as rapid screening especially with low-field instruments usable for raw material control.

Cloning, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of Three FAD8 Genes Encoding a Fatty Acid Desaturase from Seeds of Paeonia ostii

The FAD8 gene catalyzes the conversion of diene fatty acids to triene fatty acids and is a key enzyme that determines the synthesis of alpha-linolenic acid. In this study, the full-length cDNAs of FAD8-1, FAD8-2, and FAD8-3 are cloned from Paeonia ostii T. Hong & J. X. Zhang and named as PoFAD8-1, PoFAD8-2, and PoFAD8-3. Their open reading frame is 1203 bp, 1152 bp, and 1353 bp which encoded 400, 371, and 450 amino acids. The molecular weights of the amino acids are 46 kDa, 43 kDa, and 51 kDa while the isoelectric points are 7.34, 8.74, and 9.23, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis shows that all three genes are hydrophobic-hydrophobic, PoFAD8-1 has three transmembrane domains, and PoFAD8-2 and PoFAD8-3 have two transmembrane domains. Multiple series alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that PoFAD8-1 and PoFAD8-2 are closely related while PoFAD8-3 is more closely related to Paeonia delavayi. Subcellular localization results showed that PoFAD8-1 was located on the ER membrane and PoFAD8-2 and PoFAD8-3 were located on the chloroplast membrane. The relative expression level of PoFAD8-1 in seeds is very high. PoFAD8-2 expressed more in the ovary than the other two genes. PoFAD8-3 was highly expressed in roots, stems, leaves, petals, and ovaries.

Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Coupled With Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis

The development of instrumental analytical techniques provided the opportunity for in-depth characterization of many food matrices. In particular, the use of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry gives impressive results in terms of quality and authenticity testing, conducting food freshness evaluations and contamination assessments. A new variant of gas chromatography, namely two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC), and various versions of mass spectrometry have been developed since last 15 years, and they still remain at the time of their renaissance. The present critical review is focused on the use of GC × GC coupled with mass spectrometry for qualitative and quantitative reasons in food analysis. It is explained how powerful analytical tool is above-mentioned technical solution. Special attention is devoted to the issues related to the development of this technique during last years in terms of key construction elements, such as modulators and MS detectors. Finally, the critical discussion on many various aspects including advantages and more important disadvantages, caused probable moderate interest of this solution, in food analytics is concerned.

Accumulation of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) in female Fischer 344 rats: Comparison with human data and consequences for risk assessment

Female Fischer 344 rats were orally exposed to a mixture of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) of broad molecular mass range at doses of 40, 400 and 4000mg/kg feed. Amounts and compositions of the MOSH were analyzed in liver, spleen, adipose tissue and the carcass after exposure during 30, 60, 90 and 120d as well as after 90d exposure followed by 30d depuration. At 40mg/kg in the feed, after 30d of exposure, 10.9% of the ingested MOSH were recovered from the animal body; after 90d plus 30d depuration it was 3.9%. In liver and spleen, the maximum retention in terms of molecular mass (simulated distillation) was at n-C₂₉; in adipose tissue and carcass it was at n-C_15/16. The differentiation between MOSH below and above n-C₂₅ (Class I versus Class II and III oils), used for present regulation, is not supported by the present data on accumulation; structural characteristics seem more pertinent than molecular mass. Concentrations in the tissues increased far less than proportionally with the dose, rendering linear extrapolation to low doses questionable. No steady state was reached after 120d. In fact, comparing with the concentrations in human tissues at the estimated exposure, extrapolation from animal experiments seems to grossly underestimate human internal exposure. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) was used to characterize the MOSH residues in the tissues with the aim of identifying the most strongly accumulated types. In the liver and spleen, the highly branched hydrocarbons dominated, whereas in the adipose tissue it was the n-alkanes and species with main n-alkyl moieties. Strong MOSH accumulation is not of concern per se, but the safety at the high concentrations in human tissues needs to be re-evaluated, possibly taking into account also end points other than granuloma formation.

Mineral oil and synthetic hydrocarbons in cosmetic lip products

OBJECTIVE

Lipsticks and lip care products may contain saturated hydrocarbons which either stem from mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) or are synthetic, that is polyolefin oligomeric saturated hydrocarbons (POSH). Some of these hydrocarbons are strongly accumulated and form granulomas in human tissues, which prompted Cosmetics Europe (former Colipa) to issue a recommendation for their use in lip care and oral products. From 2012 to 2014, MOSH+POSH were determined in 175 cosmetic lip products taken from the Swiss market in order to estimate their contribution to human exposure.

METHODS

Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons and POSH were extracted and analysed by GC with FID. Areas were integrated as a total as well as by mass ranges with cuts at n-C25 and n-C34 to characterize the molecular mass distribution.

RESULTS

About 68% of the products contained at least 5% MOSH+POSH (total concentration). For regular users, these products would be major contributors to their MOSH+POSH exposure. About 31% of the products contained more than 32% MOSH+POSH. Their regular usage would amount in an estimated MOSH+POSH exposure exceeding the highest estimated dietary exposure. The majority of the products contained hydrocarbons with a molecular mass range which was not in line with the recommendations of Cosmetics Europe.

CONCLUSIONS

Taking into account that material applied to the lips largely ends up being ingested, MOSH and POSH levels should be reduced in the majority of cosmetic lip products. As the extensive evaluation of the data available on MOSH (EFSA J., 10, 2012, 2704) did not enable the specification of limits considered as safe, the present level of dietary exposure and its evaluation as 'of potential concern' provide the relevant bench mark, which means that lip products should contain clearly less than 5% MOSH+POSH.