Cawthron MCPDs test saves oil exporters long delays
26 February 2021
Manufacturers of marine and vegetable oils, or products containing them, no longer need to wait weeks for food safety test results, thanks to a new MCPDs test developed by Cawthron Institute.
A variety of New Zealand companies produce food and nutraceutical products using oils, like sought-after Omega 3, that must be safety tested for harmful monochloropropanediols (MCPDs) before they are distributed. MCPDs are formed in oils that are processed at high temperatures. Up until 2019, this test was only offered through laboratories in Europe, with long turn-around times.
Aware of this difficulty given his close relationship with industry, Dr Matt Miller, an expert in oil chemistry at Cawthron Institute, decided to develop an accredited lab test for MCPDs here in New Zealand.
“Refining is necessary for food oils to ensure safety and palatability, but it can also trigger the formation of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters (GE) which have been found to have harmful carcinogenic and mutagenic effects,” Dr Miller said.
“Although MCPD contamination has never been a big issue in New Zealand, it’s measurement is still an important part of our food safety regulatory system to mitigate any risk, however small it may be.”
Also aware that the same test is necessary for manufacturers of infant milk powders, Cawthron Institute sought and received IANZ accreditation for the testing of both oils and infant milk powders in 2019.
As the only supplier of this test in Australasia, Cawthron Institute’s oil testing services are now regularly used by clients in both Australia and New Zealand.
“Having this capability in New Zealand will significantly reduce the time taken for samples to be analysed and means that Cawthron can work directly with local companies to meet their analytical needs,” Dr Miller said.
If you want to know more about 3-MCPD and GE testing, please contact Dr Matt Miller at Cawthron Institute, or send an email to the laboratory testing services team via our contact form.