Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons Initiative

OVERVIEW

As a standards development organization known for its work over the past 140 years in food, dietary supplement, agriculture, and related fields, AOAC INTERNATIONAL is an independent, 501(c)(3), non-profit, membership association of analytical science professionals representing government, industry, and academia worldwide. AOAC’s credibility is derived from leveraging the expertise of its international pool of volunteer subject matter experts to address analytical challenges and testing needs with voluntary consensus standards and reliable, fit-for-purpose, and validated methods.

BACKGROUND

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) are complex mixtures of compounds primarily derived from crude oil. These include mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). MOH can enter the food supply chain in multiple ways: migrate into food from packaging and other food contact materials, contaminate food during harvesting and processing, or through environmental exposure.

The presence of MOH, especially MOAH with three and more aromatic rings, in food has raised significant public health concerns. This has prompted monitoring of MOH levels and the establishment of indicative levels by several EU member states. The European Commission is currently working to establish maximum levels for MOAH in certain products, including various food categories, spices and dried herbs, and dietary supplements. As a result, the presence of MOH in food has become an area of increasing regulatory and scientific interest.

Despite growing attention, the analytical determination of MOH remains challenging. Unlike other contaminants that can be quantified as individual compounds, MOH consist of highly complex mixtures that form broad “humps” in chromatograms when using the current common analytical approach. Additionally, matrix interferences can further compromise accuracy, potentially leading to inflated results in the absence of a quantitative confirmatory method option.

These analytical challenges were the focus of an expert technical session at the 2025 AOAC Annual Meeting, where stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and analytical laboratories discussed current practices, methodological limitations, and opportunities to improve accuracy. Subsequent discussions with additional stakeholders further reinforced the need for greater harmonization of existing analytical approaches used in routine monitoring laboratories, as well as the potential for longer-term scientific advances that could enable more specific and practical measurements of MOH in food and dietary supplement matrices.

Collectively, these discussions highlighted the importance of developing consensus-based analytical standards and guidance to support reliable MOH analysis while also encouraging scientific innovation that could improve the specificity and accuracy of future analytical approaches.

MOVING FORWARD WITH AOAC’s MOH INITIATIVE

To address these needs, AOAC proposes a two-path strategy that balances immediate improvements in analytical harmonization with longer-term development of more targeted analytical approaches.

1. Standardization of Existing Analytical Methods (Starting Point)

• The first priority is to harmonize and strengthen currently used analytical methods for MOH determination in food and dietary supplements, particularly LC-GC-based approaches widely employed in routine monitoring laboratories.
• Key objectives may include:
  • Development of Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs) for MOH determination in food and dietary supplement matrices;
  • Clarification of method scope, performance characteristics, and known limitations, including matrix interferences;
  • Guidance on method validation and performance verification for routine laboratories; and
  • Consideration of confirmatory analytical methods using GC×GC- TOF or other advanced GC-MS techniques for cases requiring additional separation or verification.

2. Exploration of Marker-Based Analytical Strategies (Long-Term Direction)

• A longer-term objective is the exploration of analytical strategies based on the identification of suitable analytical marker compounds within MOH mixtures.
• Rather than measuring unresolved hydrocarbon fractions alone, marker-based approaches would aim to identify and quantify specific compounds or compound groups that are representative of MOH contamination or associated with toxicological relevance.
• Development of such approaches would require collaboration among industry, academia, laboratories and regulators, as well as additional research including:
  • Advanced chromatographic and mass spectrometric characterization of MOH mixtures,
  • Identification of marker compounds or molecular patterns,
  • Evaluation of the relationship between potential markers and toxicological endpoints, and
  • Development and validation of analytical methods capable of measuring these markers in food and dietary supplement matrices.

These paths will be considered, amended, prioritized and scoped by an Advisory Panel of organizations supporting this new AOAC initiative.

By leveraging the collective expertise of supporting organizations from government, NGOs, industry, and academia, the Advisory Panel provides strategic direction, ensures alignment with stakeholder needs, and helps establish guidance that is both scientifically rigorous and globally relevant. This collaborative approach positions AOAC’s Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons Initiative to shape the future of MOH analysis in food and dietary supplement ingredients and products.

SUPPORTING AOAC’s MOH INITIATIVE

AOAC is seeking financial support to advance this MOH initiative with an annual donation of $10,000. Other levels of donations will be considered as well. Funding will support the following:

• Project management support for convening the Advisory Panel and subsequent technical Working Groups to develop voluntary consensus standards and other documents and deliverables as determined by the Advisory Panel,
• Oversight of the standard development process,
• Processes for drafting documents and consensus building,
• Publication of approved consensus documents,
• Call for methods,
• Oversight of the Official Methods of Analysis process,
• Publication of established official methods in Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC INTERNATIONAL^SM (OMA),
• Facilitation of global alignment,
• External outreach and training events to publicize the work of the group as well as to attract additional scientists.

Advisory Panel Member Benefits

• Shape Analytical Standards: Influence the development of internationally recognized performance standards and guidance documents that fill critical gaps in MOH analysis.
• Advance Global Harmonization: Collaborate with global experts to align analytical practices and methods across regions, supporting consistency and confidence in MOH analysis.
• Enhance Scientific Rigor: Contribute to establishing science-based method performance requirements and reliable, state-of-the-art, validated methods.
• Network with Leaders: Gain access to a global community of scientists and industry stakeholders advancing MOH analytical methodologies.
• Stay Ahead of Emerging Needs: Anticipate and respond to new regulatory and scientific requirements, ensuring organizational readiness for the future of MOH analysis in various matrices.