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<pre>You may be aware that the Spanish, British and Irish Food Standards Agencies
have withdrawn from sale all Spanish Pomace oil. They state that they have
found unacceptable levels of Benzene(a)Pyrene in a number of samples. The
FSA in Britain have said that some samples were 60 times over the normal
background level of vegetable oils. What they do not say is either what the
normal level in Pomace oil is or what is the maximum level acceptable. I
would be grateful if any one has any information on this subject.

Ged Treanor
__________________________________________________ _______________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
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<pre>Dear Ged:

This is in answer to your question.

--- In OliveTreeWorld@y..., Constantine Alexander
<PapaAlexander@y...> wrote:

Spain's Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday it had
halted all transport of a low-grade olive oil
derivative on fears it could be dangerous for human
consumption.

The ministry said it took precautionary action after
traces of hydrocarbons were found in oil produced from
crushed olive residues, known as marc olive oil, which
is sometimes mixed with other oils and used in
cooking.

Regional governments issued a statement warning
consumers of a potentially "serious, but not
immediate, danger" because of the presence of the
hydrocarbons.

The statement said the hydrocarbons were "apparently"
produced by the manufacturing process.

Local media reported that oil containing a potentially
harmful chemicial had been found first in the Czech
Republic.

Consumers were warned to get rid of any marc olive oil
they might have at home and consumers' associations
called for checks on hotels and restaurants to ensure
the oil was not being used. Supermarkets were
withdrawing marc oil products from sale.

The authorities also warned consumers not to confuse
marc olive oil with olive oil and virgin oil.

Spain, the world's largest olive oil producer, made
107,000 tonnes of marc olive oil in 1997, according to
the last available figures from the ministry.

Olive oil production itself was 1.1 million tonnes in
the same year.

In the early 1980s in Spain, more than 400 people died
and hundreds of others suffered syptoms including
partial paralysis after eating poisonous rapeseed oil
meant for industrial use. The oil was sold to the
public as cut-price olive oil.

=====
Constantine Alexander

Visit our web site
http://www.OliveTree.cc

Visit our Parea*
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OliveTreeWorld
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<pre>>Spain's Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday it had
>halted all transport of a low-grade olive oil
>derivative on fears it could be dangerous for human
>consumption.

It refers to the oil extracted from the crashed olives that rest
after virgin oil extractcion. To extract this oil, these rests must
be chemically treated.

>The statement said the hydrocarbons were "apparently"
>produced by the manufacturing process.

I (myself) think that the problem is originated in the chemicals
used: perhaps several stocks were unexpectedly contaminated with
ethilene that passed to the oil.

>Consumers were warned to get rid of any marc olive oil

Please, do note that the problen does not regard at all to virgin,
extravirgin or even the refined oil.

>The authorities also warned consumers not to confuse
>marc olive oil with olive oil and virgin oil.

That is.

>In the early 1980s in Spain, more than 400 people died
>and hundreds of others suffered syptoms including
>partial paralysis after eating poisonous rapeseed oil
>meant for industrial use. The oil was sold to the
>public as cut-price olive oil.

This last point seems to me "tendencious" since the problem was
completely different: in the early 1980 the problem was originated by
people that mixed oilive oil with oil not authorised for consumption
(used in industry!!!).

Gonzalo
--
================================================== ==============
Dr. M. Gonzalo CLAROS claros@uma.es
Dpt. Biologia Molecular y Bioquimica
Facultad de Ciencias Fax: (+34) 95 213 2000
Universidad de Malaga
E-29071 Malaga (Spain) http://www.nitrogeno.uma.es/FMP/
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<pre>Hi Ged,
You might like to visit http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/phs8805.html
This is an American site which has information about the known effects of
benzene (a) pyrene. In summary, the material is a suspected carcinogen,
although most foods contain a small amount of it. The information on the
site says that cooking food at high temperatures, as occurs during
charcoal-grilling or charring, can increase the amount of B[a]P in food.
Benzo[a]pyrene has been found in cereals, vegetables, fruits, meats,
beverages, chewing tobacco, and in cigarette smoke.
According to this site, a dose of 0.01 mg/kg per day was said to provide
minimal risk for effects other than cancer.

>You may be aware that the Spanish, British and Irish Food Standards Agencies
>have withdrawn from sale all Spanish Pomace oil. They state that they have
>found unacceptable levels of Benzene(a)Pyrene in a number of samples. The
>FSA in Britain have said that some samples were 60 times over the normal
>background level of vegetable oils. What they do not say is either what the
>normal level in Pomace oil is or what is the maximum level acceptable. I
>would be grateful if any one has any information on this subject.
>
>Ged Treanor
>_________________________________________________ ________________________

Margaret Chidgey
Editor, The Olive Press
24 Carcoola Cres, Normanhurst NSW 2076 Australia
ph: 02 9489 3663
fax: 02 9475 0759
email: chidgey@optusnet.com.au
</pre>
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