Hexane is a solvent made from crude oil.

In the food industry, hexane is used to

extract the vegetable oil from plant seeds such as canola, soybeans, sunflowers and
corn because it is more efficient and less expensive than squeezing out the oil with
presses. The hexane is removed from the oil before it is bottled and sold, but there is
always the potential for some hexane residue to be left in the oil.

== Hexane is toxic and exposure to large amounts of it can cause neurological

damage. This mostly occurs when workers are exposed to hexane at oil refineries
and other places where hexane may escape into the air. Current toxicology research
focuses on industrial and airborne exposure to hexane, so it's not clear how much
hexane exposure from foods would be dangerous.

== The EPA has estimated that consuming less than0.06 milligrams hexane per
kilogram of body weight is probably safe. For a200-pound person (97.7 kilograms),
that would be about5.8 milligrams per day. A typical diet, even one with a lot of
hexane-extracted vegetable oil, would fall very far short of that. For example, the oil
in the Swiss study with the most hexane contained0.13 milligram hexane per
kilogram of oil, so a200-pound person would have to consume over40 gallons of that
oil to even come close to5.8 milligrams hexane.

== The FDA hasn't established a limit on hexane residues in foods, however it has
set limits for residue levels in hops and fish meal protein . Since it isn't something
foods are usually tested for, it's difficult to know how just how much hexane might be
in any foods you buy. It's also unknown how much foodborne hexane might cause a
problem, although current research indicates it would take magnitudes more hexane
than what is possibly found in the diet.

== The FDA does not require foods to be tested for hexane levels -- probably
because the chances you'll experience any meaningful exposure from food is highly
unlikely. You're much more likely to be exposed to hexane through gasoline fumes,
quick-drying glue and cleaning solvents than you are from any amount of foods you
eat.

The Cornucopia Institute , an organization formed to support organic and

small-farm agriculture, claimed that soy-based foods such as veggie-burgers and
certain nutrition bars could potentially be contaminated with hexane. They based
their conclusions partially on a small study in Switzerland that looked at (among
other things) hexane levels in Swiss cooking oils.
None of the oils contained more than0.13 milligrams per kilogram of oil
and88 percent contained no traces of hexane at all. The institute also sent one
sample of soy meal and grits to the FDA for testing.
The samples contained residues of hexane (21 and14 parts per million),
that are similar to limits set for hops extracts by the FDA. Since many vegetarian
products and nutrition bars use soy protein as an ingredient, the institute fears that
non-organic or partially organic brands of these foods might be contaminated with
hexane.

== Studies conducted on oils extracted using hexane demonstrate that all hexane
does not evaporate from the foods before they are consumed; instead some residue
is always present as a byproduct in foods. It has been shown that up to0.2 percent of
solvent by volume of oil may be present in the oil after it is extracted. A team of
scientists in Switzerland demonstrated residues of hexane in various oils tested for it.
== While the oil is extracted using hexane, the protein and fibre which are separated
during the process have also come in contact with hexane. An independent
laboratory which is registered with the FDA and USDA was sent the samples of soy
oil, soy meal and soy grits, all extracted using hexane, by Cornucopia Institute, to
test the presence of hexane residues. It was found that while the oil contained less
than10 ppm hexane residue,21 ppm hexane was present in soy meal and14 ppm
hexane was found in soy grits. These tests form important evidence that hexane
residues are always present as by products when used in food production.

== According to hexane avoidance:

n First, most hexane exposure comes through the air, however if you wish to
eliminate hexane residues from your diet, you can choose foods that are "100percent organic" and oils that are expeller-pressed rather than solvent-extracted.

n Expeller pressing is not as efficient as hexane extraction so oils made this way are
going to be more expensive. Keep in mind that labels that state the product is made
with organic ingredients may still use ingredients that have been exposed to hexane.
n Second, Hexane is found to be a highly explosive chemical and has led to death
of several workers working in soybean processing plants. Hexane has also been
identified by FDA as potential neurotoxin and carcinogen.
n Though the dangerous effects of hexane have been tested on workers, few
studies are available which demonstrate the long term effects of consuming hexane
in foods.
However, hexane is similar to other hydrocarbon solvents such as benzene which
have been shown to cause significant birth defects in human beings including
attention deficit disorder, reduced IQ and various learning and memory deficiencies.
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