Food contaminant

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This article is about the chemical contamination of food. For microbiological contamination, see Foodborne illness.
Food safety
Terms
Critical factors
Bacterial pathogens
Viral pathogens
Parasitic pathogens

A food contaminant is a harmful chemical or microorganism present in food, which can cause illness to the consumer.

Contaminated food


The impact of chemical contaminants on consumer health and well-being is often apparent only after many years of processing and prolonged exposure at low levels (e.g., cancer). Unlike food-borne pathogens, chemical contaminants present in foods are often unaffected by thermal processing. Chemical contaminants can be classified according to the source of contamination and the mechanism by which they enter the food product.

Agrochemicals

rBST).[citation needed
]

Environmental contaminants

Environmental contaminants are chemicals that are present in the environment in which the food is grown, harvested, transported, stored, packaged, processed, and consumed. The physical contact of the food with its environment results in its contamination. Possible sources of contamination and contaminants common to that vector include:[citation needed
]

Pesticides and carcinogens

There are many cases of banned pesticides or carcinogens found in foods.[citation needed]

Hair in food

There is a heavy stigma attached to the presence of hair in food in most societies. There is a risk that it may induce choking and vomiting, and also that it may be contaminated by toxic substances.[5] Views differ as to the level of risk it poses to the inadvertent consumer.[6][7][8]

In most countries, people working in the food industry are required to cover their hair because it will contaminate the food.[9][10] When people are served food which contains hair in restaurants or cafés, it is usual for them to complain to the staff.[11]

There are a range of possible reasons for the objection to hair in food, ranging from cultural taboos to the simple fact that it is difficult to digest and unpleasant to eat. It may also be interpreted as a sign of more widespread problems with hygiene. The introduction of complete-capture hairnets is believed to have resulted in a decrease in incidents of contamination of this type.[12]

Sometimes protein from human hair is used as a food ingredient,[13] in bread and other such similar products. Such use of human hair in food is forbidden in Islam.[14] Historically, in Judaism, finding hair in food was a sign of bad luck.[15]

Processing contaminants

Processing contaminants are generated during the processing of foods (e.g., heating,

conveyor lines, the line will be stopped, or when weighing the product with a Check weigher, the item can be rejected for being over- or underweight or because small pieces of metal are detected within it.[citation needed
]

Emerging food contaminants

While many food contaminants have been known for decades, the formation and presence of certain chemicals in foods has been discovered relatively recently. These are the so-called emerging food contaminants like

4-hydroxynonenal, and (4-HNE).[citation needed
]

Microplastics are often found in bottled water.[16] Polypropylene infant feeding bottles cause microplastics exposure to infants.[17][18][19]

Safety and regulation

Acceptable daily intake (ADI) levels and tolerable concentrations of contaminants in individual foods are determined on the basis of the "No Observed Adverse Effect Level" (NOAEL) in animal experiments, by using a safety factor (usually 100). The maximum concentrations of contaminants allowed by legislation are often well below toxicological tolerance levels, because such levels can often be reasonably achieved by using good agricultural and manufacturing practices.[citation needed]

Regulatory officials, in order to combat the dangers associated with foodborne viruses, are pursuing various possible measures.

  • The EFSA published a report in 2011 on "scientific opinion regarding an update of the present knowledge on the occurrence and control of foodborne viruses".
  • This year, an expert working group created by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), is expected to publish a standard method for the detection of norovirus and hepatitis A virus in food.
  • The CODEX Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) is also working on a guideline which is now ready for final adoption.
  • European Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 indicates that "foodstuffs should not contain micro-organisms or their toxins or metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health", underlining that methods are required for foodborne virus detection.[20]

Food contaminant testing

To maintain the high quality of food and comply with health, safety, and environmental regulatory standards, it is best to rely on food contaminant testing through an independent third party, such as laboratories or certification companies. For manufacturers, the testing for food contaminants can minimize the risk of noncompliance in relation to raw ingredients, semi-manufactured foods, and final products. Also, food contaminant testing assures consumers

safety and quality of purchased food products and can prevent foodborne diseases, and chemical, microbiological, or physical food hazards.[21]

The establishment of ADIs for certain emerging food contaminants is currently an active area of research and regulatory debate.[citation needed]

Food contaminant detection method

The conventional food contaminant test methods may be limited by complicated/tedious sample preparing procedure, long testing time, sumptuous instrument, and professional operator.[22] However, some rapid, novel, sensitive, and easy to use and affordable methods were developed including:

  • Cyanidin quantification by naphthalimide-based azo dye colorimetric probe[23]
  • Lead quantification by modified immunoassay test strip based on a heterogeneously sized gold amplified probe[24]
  • Microbial toxin by HPLC with UV-Vis or fluorescence detection[25] and competitive immunoassays with ELISA configuration[26]
  • bacterial virulence genes detection reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and DNA colony hybridization[27]
  • Pesticide detection and quantification by strip-based immunoassay,[28][29] a test strip based on functionalized AuNPs,[30] and test strip, surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS)[31]
  • Enrofloxacin (chickens antibiotic) quantification by a Ru(phen)3 2+- doped silica fluorescent nanoparticle (NP) based immunochromatographic test strip and a portable fluorescent strip reader[32]
  • Nitrite quantification by The PRhB-based electrochemical sensors[33] and Ion selective electrodes (ISEs)[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Greenpeace Exposes Guangzhou Pesticide Contamination". ChinaCSR. June 13, 2006.
  2. ^ TribhuMRatta (Nov 5, 2008). "Ban the Colas!". MeriNews. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
  3. ^ "Toxic soy sauce, chemical veggies -- food scares hit Vietnam". AFP. Hanoi. Sep 11, 2007. Archived from the original on 2010-01-19.
  4. ^ McDonald, Scott (2008-09-22). "Chinese top food safety official resign". NBCNEWS. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  5. PMID 11029271
    .
  6. ^ "Food Quality issue 08 09 2005". Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  7. ^ "Kitsap County Health" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-20.
  8. ^ Lucey, John (June 1, 2006). "Personal Hygiene and Food Safety Tips : Management Should Serve as Role Models for Good Work Habits and Acceptable Hygienic Practices". Food Quality. Archived from the original on 2007-07-14.
  9. ^ "Ohio Department of Agriculture".[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "CCFRA newsletter". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
  11. ^ "Looking under the tables". The Gazette. September 20, 2006.
  12. ^ "IFST.org" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-08-23.
  13. ^ Justin Rowlatt (10 Jan 2007). "Does your daily bread contain human hair?". BBC News.
  14. ^ Amir Khan (1996). "Halaal/Haraam Food Awareness". Archived from the original on October 22, 2009.
  15. ISBN 0-19-506726-6
    .
  16. PMID 30255015.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  17. ^ Carrington, Damian (19 October 2020). "Bottle-fed babies swallow millions of microplastics a day, study finds". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  18. ^ "High levels of microplastics released from infant feeding bottles during formula prep". phys.org. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  19. S2CID 228978799
    .
  20. ^ Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, Official Journal of the European Union, 15 November 2005, Retrieved 7 April 2015
  21. ^ Study finds novel method to test food for contamination
  22. ISSN 2095-3119
    .
  23. ISSN 2046-2069
    .
  24. PMID 23539028
    .
  25. PMID 24667314
    .
  26. PMID 22069541
    .
  27. PMID 24732203
    .
  28. PMID 20236817
    .
  29. S2CID 97326355
    .
  30. ISSN 0925-4005
    .
  31. ISSN 2095-3119
    .
  32. PMID 23614687
    .
  33. ISSN 0925-4005
    .
  34. ISSN 0304-4238
    .

External links
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