Health experts on Sunday stressed the need to avoid using cooking oils with carcinogenic contaminants like glycidyl esters (GE) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPD). The global challenge of reducing levels of GE and 3-MCPD in vegetable oils is a critical issue impacting the food industry and oil refiners worldwide.

During the industrial refining process, GE and 3-MCPD may form in edible oils when exposed to high temperatures to eliminate undesirable tastes, colours or odours. Although the highest concentrations are typically found in refined palm oil and palm olein oil, these contaminants are also present in other refined vegetable oils (e.g., safflower, coconut, sunflower, rice bran oil, soybean oil, etc.) and refined marine oils (e.g., fish oils).