Tag: Mineral oil safety

The safety of mineral oil is entirely dependent on its level of refinement, with industrial-grade varieties containing carcinogenic compounds that are removed during processing for consumer products. The widespread belief that all mineral oil is harmful often stems from a misunderstanding of this critical difference, causing unnecessary alarm over a staple ingredient in cosmetics and medicine.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), highly refined, food-grade mineral oil is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for specific uses, yet many people wonder: is mineral oil bad for you to ingest? The answer depends heavily on the oil's purity, dosage, and duration of use, as serious health concerns are possible under certain conditions.

Despite common confusion, liquid paraffin and food grade mineral oil are not always the same, with the key difference being the level of refinement. While liquid paraffin is a general term for a highly refined petroleum product, only the specific food-grade mineral oil is deemed safe for consumption or incidental food contact.

Did you know that while food-grade mineral oil is approved for lubricating food processing machinery and conditioning wooden cutting boards, it is not intended for regular consumption? The classification of something as "food safe" or "food grade" can be misleading when considering direct ingestion, which carries specific risks.