Food Safety as a Process

The meeting opened with a short introduction to MVO’s role as a supply chain organisation. MVO represents the entire chain of oilseeds, oils and fats - from cultivation and trade to processing, storage, logistics and use in food and other products. This chain-wide perspective is essential. Food safety and quality are not determined at a single point in the process; they are the result of interconnected decisions on raw materials, logistics, technology and processing conditions.

Several organisations were involved in the site visit, each contributing from its own position to alignment within the sector. Vernof and NOFOTA represent different links in the chain and work closely with MVO at national level.

A clear example is the approach to 3-MCPD. Commercial agreements on raw materials and transport (NOFOTA), technical optimisation in refining (Vernof), and chain-wide coordination and communication (MVO) reinforce one another. At European level, further alignment takes place through FEDIOL, where experiences from different Member States are brought together.

Olenex

Olenex - a joint venture between Wilmar and ADM - produces edible oils and fats from several strategic locations in Europe. The Vondelingenplaat site specialises in the refining and further processing of tropical oils and serves as an important hub in international raw material flows.

Its scale, its logistical integration within the Port of Rotterdam and its advanced processing installations make the facility representative of the current state of the sector.

The presentation on the production process highlighted that refining and fractionation are highly technical operations in which food safety is structurally embedded. Steps such as degumming, bleaching, stripping and deodorisation are not only aimed at product quality and functionality; they are also central to controlling unwanted by-products.

Olenex explained how it has further reduced the formation of 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in recent years. This has been achieved through a combination of supply chain measures, careful raw material selection and refinement of processing conditions. The objective is always to strike a balance between safety, energy efficiency and product performance.

Knowledge and Monitoring

An important point raised during the visit was that such optimisation rarely results from a single intervention. It typically involves significant investment in development and implementation.

This is an integrated process strategy, where measures targeting one substance may affect another. That reality underlines the importance of in-depth process knowledge and continuous monitoring, rather than a narrow focus on individual parameters.

Mineral Oils

The issue of mineral oil contamination was also discussed from a preventive perspective. Olenex’s approach reflects a widely supported principle within the sector: preventing unwanted substances from entering the process is more effective than correcting problems afterwards.

In practice, this means strict requirements for incoming raw materials, logistics chains, lubricants and contact materials, combined with demonstrably controlled processes. Testing remains important, but primarily as verification of a robust system.

During the tour of the facility, these principles could be seen in action. The design of installations, the safeguarding of critical processing steps and the role of quality controls all illustrate that food safety is not a separate compliance topic, but an integral part of day-to-day operations.

The visit provided practical insight into how regulation and supervision function within a complex yet essential food supply chain.