White mineral oil
8042-47-5 · FCM no 95 · Paraffin oil with carbon chain lengths C17-C31 · White mineral oil · White mineral oil (petroleum) · white mineral oils, paraffinic, derived from petroleum-based hydrocarbon feedstocks · White mineral oil · White mineral oilCAS 8042-47-5
Listed as a glazing agent and a lubricant or release agent by Canada and the US.
Listed as glazing and surface-finishing agents (CA, US) · lubricants and release agents (CA, US) · thickeners (US) · stabilisers (US) · texturisers (US) · formulation aids (US) · surface-active agents (US) · solvents and vehicles (US) · processing aids (US)
- Canada: Glazing agent — Health Canada, List of Permitted Glazing Agents (List 7)
- United States: Surface-finishing agent — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- Canada: Lubricant — Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use (List 8)
- Canada: Release agent — Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use (List 8)
- United States: Lubricant or release agent — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Stabilizer or thickener — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Stabilizer or thickener — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Texturizer — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Formulation aid — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Surface-active agent — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Solvent or vehicle — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
- United States: Processing aid — FDA, Substances Added to Food: MINERAL OIL, WHITE
White mineral oil is a release agent, lubricant and coating, used on bakery equipment, dried fruit and confectionery.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Canada | Permitted, with conditions | highest permitted level 6,000 mg/kg 6 permitted uses Show every permitted use
| Health Canadaand 5 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-17 |
| European Union | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Great Britain | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Permitted, with conditions | 21 CFR 172.878retrieved 2026-10-17 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| Canada | 1,500 mg/kg – 6,000 mg/kg | 4 numeric limit, 2 no quantity stated |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | 1 no quantity stated |
What it is made from
Highly refined from petroleum distillate, with the aromatic compounds removed. Food grade and technical grade differ in exactly that refining.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 8042-47-5
Every name it appears under
8 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 8042-47-5
As it appears in regulation
- White mineral oil
Other names
- FCM no 95
- Paraffin oil with carbon chain lengths C17-C31
- White mineral oil
- White mineral oil (petroleum)
- white mineral oils, paraffinic, derived from petroleum-based hydrocarbon feedstocks
Systematic names
- White mineral oil
Hazard reference values
The two committees set different figures. EFSA's acceptable daily intake is 12 mg/kg bw/day (2012); JECFA's is 0.01 mg/kg bw/day (2002). An acceptable daily intake is a reference value set by a committee, not a threshold above which harm begins. The lower figure is not a finding that the other body was wrong: the two work to different terms of reference, on their own timetables, and sometimes from different data. This site states both and chooses between them nowhere. See where the two committees differ.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is White mineral oil?
- White mineral oil is a release agent, lubricant and coating, used on bakery equipment, dried fruit and confectionery.
- What is White mineral oil used for in food?
- It is listed as a glazing agent and a lubricant or release agent — the role Canada and the US assign it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Is White mineral oil banned in Europe?
- No. White mineral oil does not appear on the EU's list of authorised food additives, which is not the same as being banned: the EU permits an additive only where it has authorised it, and usually the reason for an absence is that no one applied. The EU has made no finding against this substance. It does mean it may not be used as a food additive in the EU today.
- Where is White mineral oil permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Canada and the US permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is White mineral oil vegan?
- Yes. White mineral oil is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- ca retrieved 2026-10-17
- ecfr retrieved 2026-10-17
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable: a JSON record of this additive is given on request —how to ask for access.
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