Instrument Solutions for MOSH/MOAH

Food producers and manufacturers take numerous steps to ensure food safety throughout all stages of production. Recently, a new concern has arisen regarding the presence of Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH) and Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH). 

Mineral Oil contamination can come from a variety of sources. Sometimes, we add them directly to the food as coating or anti-dust agents through food-grade oils. Other sources can include packaging and food contact material;  pesticides from source crops or medicines from veterinary procedures; lubricants and cleaning products from food manufacturing machine maintenance; or contamination through transportation, from diesel or motor oil.

Research is still developing for the determination if mineral oil contamination is harmful. Some MOSH has been proven carcinogenic, and some MOAH have caused complications in lab mice and selective build-up in humans. Due to the large possibility of initial contamination, identifying a single source in your sample becomes vital.

 

How can we find contamination in our food and determine its source?

Giorgia Purcaro, Analytical Chemistry Professor from the University of Liege, discusses the benefits of two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry in the webinar: 

GCxGC TOFMS/FID: A Journey Beyond the MOSH/MOAH Hump in Food Determination.

In this app note, Sebastiano Pantó, Application Scientist, LECO Germany, and Julio Lluch, Separation Sciences Sales Engineer, LECO Spain, explore the determination of MOSH/MOAH through GCxGC-TOFMS.

Read the App Note