MOSH, MOAH, and Your European Equipment: A Food Plant Guide
MOSH, MOAH, and Your European Equipment: A Food Plant Guide
A new European-built machine whose manual says do not use mineral oil-based lubricants is not a typo. Here is what it means, and how to specify a lubricant that satisfies it.
The short version
The fix is a base oil change, not a brand change. EFSA assessed MOSH as not a health concern; the concern is MOAH with three or more aromatic rings.
The two acronyms
Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) — roughly C10 to C50 — divide into two families, and the difference is the whole story.
MOSH
Saturated, non-aromatic. Accumulates in tissue, with large species differences.
EFSA 2023: present dietary exposure does not raise concerns for human health — likely to very likely (66–95% certain).MOAH
Aromatic rings. The family driving the restrictions; the concern is MOAH with three or more rings, linked to DNA damage.
EFSA 2023: a possible concern for human health — extremely likely (99–100% certain) for toddlers, likely (over 66% certain) for other age groups.MOAH is what regulators and OEMs are worried about. In practice, ruling out the mineral oil is how you rule out the MOAH.
What the science says — accurately
EFSA published its updated risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food in September 2023. Two findings matter.
On MOSH, reassuring. Earlier concern rested on rat liver effects EFSA no longer considers a valid model for humans. Verdict: present exposure does not raise concerns — likely to very likely (66–95% certain).
On MOAH, real. Three-or-more-ring MOAH is linked to genotoxicity and carcinogenicity; EFSA rates present exposure a possible concern — extremely likely (99–100%) for toddlers, likely for other age groups.
Sources
EFSA CONTAM Panel, Update of the risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food, EFSA Journal, September 2023, DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8215. Certainty ranges from EFSA's plain language summary.
Where the U.S. and Europe diverge
U.S. regulation permits food-grade mineral oil. FDA 21 CFR 172.878 and 178.3570 cover it; a USP white oil H1 lubricant is fully compliant, including in federally inspected meat and poultry plants.
European practice has moved further, with producers and OEMs adopting restrictions beyond what U.S. regulation requires.
So this is a specification divergence, not a safety recall. Nobody is saying your current lubricant is unsafe.
But the manual governs your warranty, whatever FDA permits — and a customer with a MOSH/MOAH-free policy governs your business with them.
What to actually check
- Read the lubrication section of the manual, not just the spec sheet. The restriction is often a base-oil specification, not a prohibition.
- Identify which of your lubricants are mineral-oil based — typically food-grade hydraulic, gear, bearing and chain oils and most white greases.
- Ask your customers, not just your OEMs. Multinational brand owners are writing MOSH/MOAH-free requirements into supplier standards.
- Check how the lubricant is manufactured, not just what is in it.
The manufacturing question most buyers never ask
An all-synthetic lubricant can still fail a MOSH/MOAH specification if it was blended in equipment that also handles mineral oils.
Carryover in shared kettles, lines and totes is real. A credible claim needs the manufacturer to declare both no mineral oil in the product and none in production.
That takes dedicated manufacturing capacity. Lubriplate, for example, runs two dedicated kettles for its H1 synthetic oils.
Question for your supplier
“Is this blended on dedicated equipment, and can you state in writing that it is free of mineral oil cross-contamination from production?”
How to specify a compliant lubricant
Three synthetic chemistries fall outside the question entirely, because they are not mineral-oil derived:
| Base chemistry | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| PAO — polyalphaolefin | Synthetic hydrocarbon; not mineral oil derived | Hydraulics, compressors, bearings, chains, general purpose |
| PAG — polyalkylene glycol | Synthetic; very high viscosity index | Gearboxes, especially high load |
| Ester — synthetic ester | Synthetic; high thermal stability | High-temperature applications, oven chains |
In the Lubriplate range: SFGO Ultra (PAO) for hydraulics, compressors, bearings, chains and gearboxes; PGO-FGL (PAG) for gears. Both NSF H1, made under NSF/ISO 21469.
SFGO Ultra covers 13 ISO grades and complies with FDA 21 CFR 172.882; PGO-FGL is a PAG gear fluid with a 232–272 viscosity index and strong micropitting protection.
Match the grade in your manual
Find the manual's ISO grade below. Part numbers are the 5 gallon pail; jugs, quarter drums and drums are also available.
SFGO Ultra — PAO synthetic, ISO 7 to 1000
| ISO grade | Product | Part no. (5 gal pail) | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | SFGO Ultra 7 | L0912-060 | Freezer chain, penetrating |
| 15 | SFGO Ultra 15 | L0930-060 | Cold temperature applications |
| 22 | SFGO Ultra 22 | L0931-060 | Hydraulics, cold temperature |
| 32 | SFGO Ultra 32 | L0915-060 | Compressors, hydraulics |
| 46 | SFGO Ultra 46 | L0916-060 | Compressors, hydraulics |
| 68 | SFGO Ultra 68 | L0917-060 | Compressors, hydraulics |
| 100 | SFGO Ultra 100 | L0983-060 | Air compressors, circulating systems |
| 150 | SFGO Ultra 150 | L0984-060 | Gear boxes |
| 220 | SFGO Ultra 220 | L0985-060 | Gear boxes |
| 320 | SFGO Ultra 320 | L0986-060 | Gear boxes |
| 460 | SFGO Ultra 460 | L0987-060 | Worm gear boxes |
| 680 | SFGO Ultra 680 | L0988-060 | Worm gear boxes |
| 1000 | SFGO Ultra 1000 | L0989-060 | Worm gear boxes |
PGO-FGL — PAG synthetic gear fluid, ISO 150 to 680
| ISO grade | Product | Part no. (5 gal pail) | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | PGO-FGL 150 | L0810-060 | Food grade gear fluid |
| 220 | PGO-FGL 220 | L0811-060 | Food grade gear fluid |
| 320 | PGO-FGL 320 | L0812-060 | Food grade gear fluid |
| 460 | PGO-FGL 460 | L0813-060 | Food grade gear fluid |
| 680 | PGO-FGL 680 | L0815-060 | Food grade gear fluid |
The limit nobody advertises: greases
Synthetic oils solve this today. Food-grade greases largely do not — yet.
Grease additive packages are where mineral oil persists even when the base fluid is synthetic. The industry is working on it; it is not solved.
Do not assume a synthetic grease clears a restriction on greased points. Get a written statement on that specific grease — the oils get converted, the grease guns do not.
A practical sequence
- Inventory which of your food-grade lubricants are mineral-oil based.
- Cross-reference against the equipment those lubricants serve, flagging European-built machines.
- Read the lubrication requirements in the manuals for the flagged equipment.
- Convert the oils first — SFGO Ultra and PGO-FGL cover the large majority of fluid applications, grade for grade.
- Handle greased points separately, with written confirmation per product.
- Document it. If a customer audit is driving this, the paperwork is the deliverable.
A no-charge Lubriplate plant survey covers steps 1 and 2 and produces color-coded charts and machinery tags.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most.
Is mineral oil-based lubricant illegal in U.S. food plants?
No. USP white mineral oil is permitted under FDA 21 CFR 172.878 and 178.3570. The restrictions come from European OEM specifications and customer standards, not U.S. law.
Does this mean my current lubricant is unsafe?
No. It may not meet a spec in your manual or a customer standard — a warranty question, not a safety finding.
What did EFSA actually conclude about MOSH and MOAH?
MOSH: likely to very likely (66–95% certain) not a health concern. MOAH with three or more aromatic rings: a possible concern, extremely likely for toddlers. The restriction targets MOAH.
Is "synthetic" the same as "MOSH/MOAH-free"?
Not automatically. The base stock must be synthetic and production free of mineral oil cross-contamination. Get that in writing.
Are food-grade greases available MOSH/MOAH-free?
Not broadly. Grease additive packages make this harder than oils. Get a product-specific written statement.
Do I have to change lubricant brands?
No. It is a base-oil change; you can usually move to a PAO or PAG equivalent in the same grade within one range.
Which ISO grade do I switch to?
Match the grade in the manual — SFGO Ultra spans ISO 7–1000, PGO-FGL ISO 150–680, and the tables above map every grade to a part number.
Working through an OEM lubrication requirement?
MROSupply stocks the full Lubriplate NSF H1 range. Working through an OEM spec? Contact us or call Lubriplate at 800-347-5343.
This expands on one item in Straight From Lubriplate: 5 Updates for Food and Industrial Maintenance Teams.
Shop Lubriplate at MROSupply
Image credits
- Bottling plant photograph: Hermann Luyken, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
- Laboratory photograph: USDA Agricultural Research Service, public domain.
- Inspection photograph: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, public domain.
- Gearmotor photograph: Freek Wolsink via Pexels.