WTF: there’s a toxic substance in your chocolate spread
The first person who doesn’t like chocolate spread has yet to be born. It can’t be any other way. We’re absolutely crazy about it, at least. From Venz chocolate spread and Lidl’s own-brand version to whole buckets of Nutella, we love spreading it on our bread. Or eating it straight from the jar by the spoonful—that works too. But now it turns out that our beloved chocolate spread contains a toxic substance. Say what?!
3-MCPD
Anyone who immediately gets nightmare flashbacks to their chemistry and physics classes when reading the headline above: you’re not the only one. Anyway, that’s the name of the toxic substance found in your chocolate spread. 3-MCPD stands for 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol. It’s a substance that forms through process contamination, meaning it develops while ingredients are being heated, cooked or purified. Small consolation: the chocolate-spread makers aren’t deliberately poisoning us.
Refining
The Belgian consumer organisation Test-Aankoop discovered in a test that 24 of 25 jars of hazelnut spread contained some 3-MCPD. How can the score be that high? Many chocolate spreads contain palm oil and palm fats: substances that contain very high amounts of 3-MCPD. These high levels of 3-MCPD are released during refining. This is a process that ensures oils and fats meet quality and safety requirements. It’s pretty bizarre, really, that a process intended to make a product safer and higher quality produces a toxic substance like 3-MCPD.
What else is it found in?
Unfortunately, chocolate spread isn’t the only product in which you’ll find 3-MCPD. Far from it, in fact. You’ll also find the substance in low-fat margarine, margarine, mayonnaise, garlic sauce, biscuits, pastries, baby food, fried or baked potato products, roasted cocoa beans and nuts, smoked meat and fish, and soy sauce. Quite a few products, then.
Is it harmful?
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set the acceptable daily intake of 3-MCPD at 2 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. If you consume too much of the substance, you can suffer kidney damage. It may also be carcinogenic. What we know for sure at this point is… Not all that much yet. That’s because the RIVM has conducted very little research so far. What is certain is that not many products exceed the safe limit. That’s a relief, at least.
Read also:
- Toxic substance found in Skittles, Mars taken to court
- 7 things you should do if you have food poisoning
- 40 toxic products removed from Belgian shelves immediately
Source: NPO3/Keuringsdienst van Waarde
