• The approval of methyloxolane as an alternative to hexane is seen as a real advance in the process of removing harmful substances from ingredient production.
By Directive no. 175/2023 amending Directive 2009/32/EC of the European Parliament and the European Council, a vegetable alternative to hexane, methyloxolane, has been added to the list of technological auxiliaries allowed for the manufacture of food ingredients.
The technological aid methyloxolane is the first alternative to hexane produced from 100% vegetable carbon. It is obtained from agricultural co-products such as sugarcane residues and has been used for over 15 years by the pharmaceutical industry for synthesis processes.
Hexane is a petroleum-based solvent widely used industrially, especially in the food industry for the extraction of oils, plant proteins and natural ingredients. However, with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) reclassifying hexane as a proven human neurotoxicant, the industry has had to look for an alternative.
Food safety
Authorization comes in response to submission by Pennakem Europa (a subsidiary of the Minafin group) of a file with the European Commission for the inclusion of methyloxolane in Directive 2009/32/EC and following a review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which concluded in March 2022 that methyloxolane can be used safely for food production. It is the first time since the issuance of Directive 2009/32/EC that a new liquid solvent enters the regulation.
The inclusion of this new solution in European legislation will allow players in the oilseed and plant extract milling industry to develop safer and more environmentally friendly ingredients for their customers.
Methyloxolane now joins other approved alternatives to hexane on the market, including shallow CO₂ extraction and hot ethanol extraction. However, one of the main differences between methyloxolane and these alternatives is that it allows the reuse of production facilities originally designed for hexane extraction with minor modifications.
"We are excited about this change", said Laurence Jacques, CEO of the brand EcoXtract, the company's methyloxolane producer Minafin Group, based in France. "Many thought it would be impossible for a new solvent to ever be approved because today to get into regulation you have to provide numerous detailed toxicological studies and a very high level of safety evidence", Jacques explained.
The first herbal solvent
It should be emphasized that although the new European regulation does not specify the supplier of methyloxolane, Pennakem Europe holds two patents in Europe that protect the use of methyloxolane for the extraction of oil and degreasing of proteins from any biological substrate. This means that the process cannot be used without a license from Pennakem Europe.
Laurence Jacques however explains that "Any methyloxolane can be used as long as it meets the specifications of the regulation, but it is unlikely that a company will be able to do so." EFSA's positive opinion on methyloxolane did not disclose the production process and full specifications of the material. "Only Pennakem Europe has this data and can provide the methyloxolane that was received by EFSA" adds Jacques, quoted by foodnavigator.
Another point of pride for Minafin, the owner of EcoXtract, is that its solvent is the first solvent with a purity specification: "It seems obvious that solvents used for food extraction should have a controlled composition and threshold for any impurity of concern. But no such specification exists for any other solvent on the list. In addition, methyloxolane is the first solvent that is solely plant-based and does not exist in a petrochemical variant.”
"Our goal now is to support manufacturers of edible oils and natural ingredients to phase out the use of hexane in favor of methyloxolane and thus reduce the population's exposure to this toxic product", Jacques stated.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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