The extended new version of the joint recommendation of "MOH benchmark levels" as of September 2022 has been published. This updated version of the "MOH benchmark levels" covers 9 product categories and has been expanded to include certain described vegan and vegetarian products.
On behalf of the Joint Project Group "MOH benchmark levels" under the auspices of the German Food Association and the representatives of the Working Group Consumer Protection Consortium of the Federal States (LAV) / Working Group on Foodstuffs and consumer goods, wine and cosmetics (ALB), the extended new version of the joint recommendation of "MOH benchmark levels" as of September 2022 has been published in German and English. The project goes back to the decision of the Consumer Protection Ministers Conference in April 2017. Against the background of the knowledge gained since 2010 about the complex entry pathways of undesirable mineral oil components into the food process chains, a concept was coordinated to identify the expected contents of MOSH and MOAH regardless of the source but specific to the product category in order to support minimisation approaches in the very different processes. The project, which was realised in special cooperation between monitoring and industry, is based to date on more than 16,500 individual data from different food categories, which were compiled and evaluated. The data originate from voluntary self-monitoring as well as from official food monitoring investigations and are comparable to a national monitoring ring in terms of their informative value. For the first time, joint recommendations for food group-specific "MOH benchmark levels", in conjunction with their definitions and interpretations, were published in April 2019. This updated version of the "MOH benchmark levels" (as of September 2022) covers 9 product categories and has been expanded to include certain described vegan and vegetarian products. The version and extension developed in spring 2022 was approved by the federal states on the occasion of the last meeting of the ALB in September 2022. This successfully continues the project and extends the benchmark levels as reference bases for the assessment of MOSH and MOAH to a wide range of foods. The Food Association and LAV jointly recommend the use of the MOH benchmark levels for the assessment of end consumer products. MOH benchmark levels are always to be used in conjunction with the definition described: "The levels provide guidance on the content, regardless of source, of mineral oil-like hydrocarbons (MOH as the sum of MOSH and MOSH analogues (such as POSH, PAO, MORE) and as MOAH) in foodstuffs of a specific group that can be expected with high statistical probability as the result of a good technical manufacturing practice at the various process stages and due to ubiquitous influences. If benchmark levels are exceeded, this may indicate possible sources of contamination along a supply chain, which may be avoidable by adopting good practice within the manufacturing and packaging process and may also provide a reason to instigate research into the causes. Further assessment of a product should consider its composition, type and duration of packaging, shelf life, information on the raw material situation, on processing methods and food contact materials at all stages as well as the intended use and the usual consumption quantities." The Joint Project Group continues to work to verify the recommendations that have existed to date and to consider new categories, taking into account developments in analytics and possible legislation.
Source: Lebensmittelverband, Rundschreiben L-712-2022
