Greenpeace recently published an investigation revealing the widespread presence of hexane – a toxic solvent – in our daily food.
Used by the food industry to refine vegetable oils, hexane contaminates many more products than expected. In this study, out of 56 products tested, 36 contained hexane residues: refined vegetable oils but also butter, chicken, milk and even infant formula contain traces of this solvent.
In this video I explain why hexane is found in so many different foods.
The explanation lies in the food chain. Hexane is used not only to extract oils, but also to produce protein meals intended for animal feed. Dairy cows and farmed chickens fed these meals can then concentrate the hexane in their milk and meat.
Read: Is canola oil toxic? (subscribers)
Neurotoxic, hexane is suspected of being an endocrine disruptor, but no tolerable daily dose has been established by health authorities. In other words, it is unknown how much can be safely consumed.
Solutions exist to avoid hexane, since the organic sector completely prohibits it. For consumers, it is better to favor extra virgin oils, first cold pressed, and avoid cheap or mixed refined oils.
To go further: The right choice at the supermarket
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