MCPD esters and Glycidyl esters - Symposium 2022

New Developments in Toxicology, Legislation, Analytics and Mitigation

27-28 June 2022, Berlin

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Dear Reader,

Three years after the last symposium on MCPD esters (MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE) and almost 15 years after the first considerations of the 3-MCPD esters as relevant food contaminants by the Official Laboratory in Stuttgart and the Max Rubner-Institut (MRI) we would like to draw your attention to a new edition of the symposium to give you an update on this important topic.

The symposium will be held in Berlin, Germany on 27th – 28th June 2022, organized by the German Society for Fat Science (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fettwissenschaft e. V.; DGF) and supported by the Association of the Oilseed Crushing and Vegetable Oil Refining Industry in Germany (OVID Verband der ölsaatenverarbeitenden Industrie in Deutschland e. V.).

Fifteen years after the first recognition of the ”3-MCPD issue” in edible oils, efforts in minimization, improvements of analytics and also progress in the toxicological evaluations are still current. Similarly, recent changes were discovered in respect of the EU regulations . The last amendment of maximum levels for 3-MCPD & 3-MCPDE and GE in certain foods came into force in 2020 with regulation (EU) 2020/1322. However, last year the European Commission discussed the possibility of also setting maximum levels for total 3-MCPD and GE in several compound foods and food additives such as emulsifiers.

Considering the future EU policy on 3-MCPD and GE, another regulation might be on the horizon. The last symposium on 3-MCPD and glycidyl ester in 2019 showed that we have made progress in understanding the toxicology of 3-MCPDE and GE. However, knowledge about possible adverse health effects of 2-MCPDE for example is still too limited to perform a valid risk evaluation. A lot of mitigation steps have been successfully introduced into industrial processes to reduce the formation of the esters.

But in terms of increasing demands of officials and consumers there seems to be a lasting need for further improvements. This raises the question “how far we can get”?. Since the first findings of 3-MCPDE in fat containing compound foods and edible oils between 2004 and 2006 we have progressed considerably in the development of analytical approaches, resulting in the official validation of more than 10 methods for edible oils and fats, actually including an automated approach.

However, there seems to be a gap in availability of validated, reliable and robust analytical methods for different food matrices and compound foods. Correspondingly, it is a point of interest if studies in this field are undertaken recently and how the EU authorities might deal with this gap. Since years a controversial debate targets the possible formation of 3-MCPD, 3-MCPDE and GE during post-refining food processing. As the scientific knowledge about the underlying reactions seems to be not satisfying and different studies might be ranked as inconsistent in their conclusions, clarification of this issue is still a hot topic.

Another high-ranked point of interest is the question for the recent perspective of food industry. How are the developments on 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters perceived, what still needs to be done? Beside 2-MCPD and GE, do we have to consider further 3-MCPD related food contaminants in future – and could they be covered by the recent methods?

All these topics and questions will be addressed and discussed with qualified experts with the aim to improve your knowledge on all aspects of MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in oils and food. Fifteen years after the first findings of 3-MCPD esters in vegetable fats and oils this in-person symposium will give you the chance to discuss relevant aspects of formation and mitigation during oil and food processing, new developments in analytics and the toxicological assessment of the esters in a broad context.

The symposium aims to reach all interested parties, i.e. people from oil and food processing industry, trade, official and private laboratories, but also decision-makers in authorities, people responsible for consumer protection, nutritionists and from the scientific press.

Please save the date for the symposium on MCPD esters and glycidyl esters on 27th – 28 th June 2022 in Berlin, Germany, Umweltforum Auferstehungskirche (Pufendorfstraße 11, 10249 Berlin, Germany).

We would like to invite you to present a poster during the symposium. Please send your poster abstract until 29th April 2022 to bertrand.matthaeus@mri.bund.de.

Kind regards,

Gerhard Brankatschk, OVID Association of the Oilseed Crushing and Oil Refining Industry in Germany, Berlin

Jan Kuhlmann, SGS, Hamburg

Bertrand Matthäus, MRI – Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food), Detmold