Oil is an essential ingredient for cooking. According to a recent Consumer Council test on 50 cooking oil samples, 94% were found to contain 1 or more types of harmful contaminants. 29 samples were detected with the genotoxic carcinogen glycidol, 2 of which even exceeded the European Union standard.
The Council obtained 50 samples of common varieties of cooking oils from supermarkets and department stores, spanning 13 categories, including 14 extra virgin olive oils, 2 olive oils, 2 avocado oils, 3 coconut oils, 2 camellia oils , 2 sunflower oils, 2 rice bran oils, 2 grapeseed oils, 3 corn oils, 6 canola oils, 1 soybean oil, 6 peanut oils, and 5 blended oils.
Some types of cooking oils must undergo high-temperature refining during the manufacturing process. The toxic 3-MCPD and the genotoxic carcinogen glycidol will be released. The watchdog said that about 60% of the samples were detected with 3-MCPD (30 samples) and glycidol (29 samples), respectively.
Samples of coconut oil (Superfood Lab Coconut Cooking Oil) and peanut oil (Yu Pin King Pure Peanut Oil) were detected with 1,100 μg and 2,000 μg of glycidol, respectively, which exceeded the maximum level of 1,000 μg/kg established in the EU standard.
3-MCPD content also varied more than 13-fold between samples with the lowest (130 μg) and highest (1900 μg) levels. The highest content of 3-MCPD was found in 1 blended oil sample, but it did not exceed the EU standard and would probably not pose a health risk when consumed in regular servings.
Excessive consumption of 3-MCPD over a prolonged period would adversely affect kidney functions, the central nervous system, and the male reproductive system in laboratory animals.
The test also found 3-MCPD and glycidol in 1 extra virgin olive oil sample and 2 camellia oil samples that claimed to be cold pressed. Although the levels did not exceed the EU standard, it was suspected that the samples might have been treated at high temperature or contaminated with non-cold-pressed oils.
In addition, 2 samples were detected with the genotoxic carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene, whose concentration in 1 corn oil sample (2.1 μg/kg) slightly exceeded the EU standard (2.0 μg/kg).
The test also found plasticizers in around 70% of the samples, roughly the same percentage as the 2017 test results.
However, 5 samples in the 2017 trial had exceeded the CFS action level and the EU ceiling, while only 1 extra virgin olive oil sample in the current trial exceeded those limits, showing signs of improvement.
In addition, the test also revealed that 8 samples had a variance between their actual and declared nutrient content that exceeded the stipulated tolerance limit (20%). The most severe case was the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for 1 sample, which had a variation of 85% with the labeled value. The Council urges manufacturers to quickly correct discrepancies in product labeling and provide consumers with accurate information.
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