Contaminations in foods and beverages can cause serious health problems and are a growing concern in modern society. In recent years, contamination with mineral oil hydrocarbons shifted into public focus, and also gained attention in legislation and standardization. Mineral oil hydrocarbons, especially aromatic hydrocarbons, can pose serious health risks and include many carcinogenic compounds.
The initial norms and guidelines for the determination of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) focused mostly on vegetable oil matrices. There are no standardized methods and procedures available for quantification of MOSH and MOAH in other matrices. Nevertheless, there is a steadily growing demand for MOSH/MOAH determination in various types of foods, as well as food contact materials, packaging, and body care products and cosmetics.