Factsheet
Mineral oils in packaging
Publication date: May 4, 2022
Organisation: KIDV
Mineral oils are chemical oils, which (often) come from petroleum. There are various ways in which contamination by mineral oils can get into food. For example, through the use of lubricants on machinery during food production, or through hydraulic oils in harvest and production machinery.
Another possible source of contamination is food packaging materials. Various foodstuffs are contained in packaging made of paper and cardboard. Paper and cardboard often consist of recycled paper. This may contain contaminants, for example mineral oils from newsprint ink. These contaminants may migrate from the food packaging material into the foodstuff, possibly posing a risk to consumers.
There is still much uncertainty about the risks of mineral oils and about the requirements that must be met in order to use packaging materials in a food-safe manner, to prevent or minimise migration. KIDV has drawn up the fact sheet Mineral oils, which gives an account of the current situation regarding the risks of mineral oils in food packaging materials. It also discusses relevant legislation.
This fact sheet is part of a series of KIDV fact sheets on food safety, published in May 2022. For more information, see our dossier page on Food Safety.