Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC) on a request from the Commission related the use of mineral oils in jute and sisal bags

The Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC) has been asked to give an opinion on the use of mineral oils in jute bags. The Panel has chosen to include in its assessment the use of these oils in sisal bags as well. Jute and sisal bags are used to transport raw materials, plants and fruit used for food production. In the manufacturing of jute and sisal bags, the use of batching oils is needed to soften the fibres before spinning. When semivolatile mineral hydrocarbons are present in batching oils, these may be transferred from the fibres to the food transported in the bags by evaporation and recondensation. The International Jute Organisation (IJO) currently recommends that batching oil shall only contain non-toxic ingredients and it shall not contain compounds that produce off flavours or off-tastes in food. The IJO also specifies limits for the presence of unsaponifiable material in the bags (less than 1250 mg/kg jute fibre). If these specifications for unsaponifiable residues in the bags are followed, the use of mineral oils as batching oils, and thus contamination of food, is effectively ruled out and the release of semivolatile mineral hydrocarbons from jute and sisal bags is expected to be significantly reduced. If the proposed specifications are followed, human exposure to semivolatile mineral hydrocarbons from jute and sisal bags is estimated to be well below the temporary Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for mineral hydrocarbons set by the Scientific Committee on Food in 1995. Adherence to the specifications can be monitored in the producing countries with simple laboratory equipment. Adherence to the IJO specifications would result in a major reduction of human exposure to mineral hydrocarbons from food packaged in jute and sisal bags and in this aspect no further purity criteria are necessary. The use of edible rice-bran oil or palm oil would not result in food contamination with semivolatile mineral hydrocarbons. However, more detailed specifications on batching oils said to be "based on" rice-bran oil or palm oil are needed for a full assessment of potential effects of such oils on human health.