Bunge Loders Croklaan Reduces the Level of Dangerous Chemicals in Oils
Bunge Loders Croklaan, a key supplier in specialty oils and fats for the food industry, has strengthened mitigation of 3-MCPDe in its oils portfolio ahead of expected European legislation.
“We are positioned to ensure food companies can transition smoothly into conformity with the regulations by January 2021. We also will serve companies that, irrespective of the looming regulations, are seeking the lowest levels of 3-MCPDe (3-monochloropropanediol esters) and GE (glycidyl esters) on the market. We can tailor our full portfolio of oil offerings to meet their specific needs and clean-label aspirations,” says David Vandermeersch, vice president of Bunge Loders Croklaan in Europe.
The European Commission will place new, stricter maximum limits on 3-MCPDe levels in all vegetable and fish oils incorporated into foodstuffs, such as processed cereal-based foods for toddlers, out of concern for the health of young children, especially those aged 1-3 years. These substances are potentially harmful and occur when vegetable oils are exposed to high temperatures in the refining process. New legal limits for vegetable oils in the above-described product categories will be 750µg/kg for 3-MCPDe. The new 3-MCPDe legislation is expected to become effective in January 2021.
Other categories of the new regulations set maximum 3-MCPDe limits for products intended for general consumers to 1,250µg/kg for named, non-virgin oils and to 2,500µg/kg for all other oils, including palm, shea, and fish oil. These new 3-MCPDe limits are complementary to existing GE levels that were already in place since 2018.
Bunge Loders Croklaan has made new processing advances and has taken expansive steps throughout its integrated supply chain that allow it to offer a full range of solutions at levels even below the newly delineated standards for 3-MCPDe and GE. The company has offered a fully mitigated oils and fats portfolio in Europe since 2017.
“We work with a select group of mills before the raw materials are transferred to our European refineries, where the oil undergoes a gentle, low-heat refining process,” explains Renee Boerefijn, director of Innovation for Bunge Loders Croklaan EMEA. “We take advantage of having the industry’s most globally integrated supply chain and can adapt and improve our supply of oils and fats to the point of origin. Combined with our state-of-the-art facilities and monitoring techniques, we ensure our products meet the latest food safety and quality standards.”
Over the last five years, the company has been heavily investing in hardware and software capabilities in its facilities to achieve record low levels of the substances. By 2016, Bunge Loders Croklaan was at the forefront in low 3-MCPDe and GE levels for the infant food category. The company also developed an analytical technique, measuring contaminants in near real-time that is in the process of becoming an industry standard (ISO/NEN).
The newly tightened food safety regulations will largely impact food companies operating in the bakery, confectionery, and infant food & formula sectors. Manufacturers will need to realign the fat formulation of their products to meet the new standards before January 2021 deadlines.
