Henkel India has come up with yet another innovative measure
to create awareness on prevailing myths and various impacts of usage of mineral
oils in food packaging adhesives.
Henkel will be broadcasting a webinar on December 5, 2014
entitled “Everything you need to know about mineral oil components in food
packaging adhesives.” The webinar, to be held in English, by Dr. Monika
Tönnießen (Chemist in the Product Safety department of Henkel Adhesive
Technologies business unit), will focus on the problems associated with mineral
oil hydrocarbons in food packaging.
Interested parties are invited to register for free via the
website: www.henkel-premium-area.com/academy. Registrants will also gain access
to the Premium Area, which offers further webinars, white papers, a
comprehensive glossary, and videos covering a range of key issues.
As the world’s largest adhesives manufacturer, Henkel is
committed to finding ways of improving food safety. In line with this purpose,
Henkel, through its web-based knowledge platform “Food Safe Packaging Portal,”
broadcasts various webinars for its customers. The purpose of these live
webinars by Henkel is to shed light on important issues surrounding food
packaging safety. Participants are also able to put their questions live and
online to the Henkel presenters while the webinars are still in progress.
Dr. Monika Tönnießen, an expert in all aspects of material
contact with foodstuffs and a member of the Paper and Packaging Working Group
of the Association of European Adhesives and Sealants Manufacturers (FEICA),
says, “Mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) are regarded as a particularly
harmful fraction. There are thousands of different mineral oil components, and
their effects on human health vary enormously. One mineral oil is not the same
as another, so it is essential to precisely differentiate the substances
involved. The elimination of critical mineral oil components from adhesive
formulations is critical. We have been conducting webinars on food packaging
for various countries and have been getting extremely positive responses. We
are hopeful of support from Indian audiences in similar way.”
According to a 2012 report by the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA), on the subject of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food, there are
various sources of food contamination by mineral oil components. It’s a well known
fact that many foods, for example, cocoa beans, are transported in jute sacks
that are treated with mineral oil. Such foods get contaminated with mineral oil
even before they are packed. There is a strong need to increase awareness
amongst consumers about the causes and harmful effects of such contamination.
Consumers need to be informed about the same and the measures that they can
take to avoid the issue.
