食品接触材料中烃类矿物油毒性和风险管理

Toxicology and risk management of the mineral oil hydrocarbons of food contact material

烃类矿物油(mineral oil hydrocarbons,MOHs)是一类由多种烃类物质组成的复杂混合物。现阶段,针对烃类矿物油毒理学数据比较缺乏,毒理学动物试验数据能否外推至人体仍存在争议。对饱和烃矿物油(MOSH)的毒性主要关注其生物蓄积性,C16~C35的MOSH能在人体和大鼠组织中蓄积并可形成微肉芽肿;而含有3~7个芳香环的芳香烃矿物油(MOAH)具有致突变和致癌性,以及是潜在的内分泌干扰物。欧洲食品安全局指出人群暴露于烃类矿物油的健康风险值得关注。食品接触材料是食品中烃类矿物油污染的重要来源,而由回收纸纤维制作的食品接触纸制品中烃类矿物油污染食品的问题尤为突出。为完善对烃类矿物油的风险管理,应基于化学成分而不是粘度指标,对特定组分烃类矿物油开展毒理学研究和膳食暴露评估。

The mineral oil hydrocarbons ( mineral oil hydrocarbons, MOHs) are complex mixtures comprising various type of hydrocarbons. Toxicological data for MOHs is currently relatively lacking. It is still controversial whether toxicological data from animal experiments can be extrapolated to the human body. The main concern about the toxicity of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons ( MOSH) is their bioaccumulation effect, MOSH with carbon number in the range C16- C35 are able to accumulate in tissues and cause microgranulomas. Mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons ( MOAH) containing 3 to 7 aromatic rings are considered to be potentially mutagenic and carcinogenic, and are potential endocrine disruptors. Thus, European Food Safety Authority concluded that the exposure to hydrocarbon minerals may pose a health concern. Food contact materials is one of main source of mineral oil contamination in foods. The contamination of mineral oil caused by use of recycled food packaging paper requires special attention and further control. In order to perform an accurate risk assessment on mineral oils, toxicological studies and exposure assessment on mixed and specific components of mineral oils should be carried out based on chemical composition rather than viscosity character.