Overview

• Greenpeace reports detecting hexane in 36 of 56 tested items, including cooking oils, butter, milk — including infant formula — and one chicken sample, with oil concentrations around 0.04–0.08 mg/kg.
• French lawmaker Richard Ramos has announced a parliamentary fact‑finding mission on industrial use of the solvent and potential regulatory or labeling changes.
• The European Commission has asked EFSA to reassess the safety of hexane in the food chain, while existing residue limits dating from the 1990s remain in force.
• Industry representatives say there is no public‑health alert, asserting any residues are trace and below current legal thresholds and that hexane is largely eliminated during processing.
• Hexane, a petroleum‑derived extraction solvent classified as hazardous by EU and French agencies, is not listed on labels as it is treated as a technological aid, and residues can transfer via solvent‑treated oilseed meal used in animal feed; Greenpeace urges an immediate ban and singles out large processors such as Avril/Saipol, Cargill and Bunge.