What can cause a chemical contamination in food?
The Sources of Chemical Contaminants in Food and Their Health Implications
- Department of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
- Food Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Malaysia
- National Science Museum, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Daejeon, South Korea
What are 5 physical contaminants?
What are the causes of food contamination?
- biological hazards (microorganisms) including bacteria, fungi, yeasts, mould and viruses.
- chemical hazards. including cleaning chemicals or foods with naturally occurring toxins, such as green potatoes.
- physical hazards. including dangerous physical objects such as plastic, glass, elastic bands, wood chips or bandages.
How can chemical contamination occur?
To reduce water as carrier:
- As water is the number one source for cross contamination, it is important to reduce and prevent water contamination
- Water borne contaminants: particulates (such as minerals) and pathogens (e. coli, salmonella, etc ...
- Use of preventive measure such as filtration devices, distillation or reverse osmosis, UV treatments
What are the four types of food contamination?
- Contamination on the physical level. When hair, glass, plasters, dirt, insects, or other foreign things are found in food, this is referred to as microbial contamination.
- Contamination with chemicals.
- Contamination with biological agents.
What is an example of a chemical contaminant?
Chemical contaminants are elements or compounds. These contaminants may be naturally occurring or man-made. Examples of chemical contaminants include nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs. Biological contaminants are organisms in water.
What are three types of chemical contaminants?
Common chemical contaminants include: cleaning products (e.g. detergent, sanitizer) pesticides/herbicides. toxic chemicals in metals and plastic.
What is a chemical contaminant Servsafe?
Chemical substances that can contaminate food, such as cleaners, sanitizers, polishes, machine lubricants, and toxic metals, that leach from cookware and equipment.
What is considered chemical contamination in food?
The different types of chemical contaminants include environmental contaminants (such as industrial chemicals called dioxins), process contaminants that form while cooking or heating food (such as acrylamide), and chemical contaminants used for economically motivated adulteration (such as melamine).
What causes chemical contamination?
Chemical contamination occurs when food is contaminated by chemicals. Some of the most common causes of chemical contamination are cleaning products or pesticides and herbicides from unwashed fruit and vegetables. Examples of chemical contaminants are: industrial chemicals.
What are the effects of chemical contamination?
The harmful effects range from minor gastric problems to major health fatalities. Chemical contaminants are strongly linked with severe consequences, lack of personal control, and long-term effects (Kher et al., 2011). Food consumption is the most likely source of human exposure to metals.
What are chemical contaminants food handlers?
Common examples of artificial chemical contaminants include detergent, sanitizer, other cleaning products, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
Which is a chemical contaminant quizlet?
Chemical contaminants can include cleaners, sanitizes, and polishes. Foreign objects such as metal shavings, staples, and bandages can get into food. So can glass, dirt and even bag ties.
What are the 4 types of contamination?
There are four main types of contamination: chemical, microbial, physical, and allergenic. All food is at risk of contamination from these four types. This is why food handlers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the food they prepare is free from these contaminants and safe for the consumer.
Is mold a chemical contaminant?
Mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites of certain fungi (molds) that can grow on agricultural commodities in the field and during storage.
What is a typical symptom of chemical contamination?
A small chemical exposure can cause tearing eyes and burning of the eyes, nose, throat, chest and skin. It may cause headache, sweating, blurred vision, stomach aches and diarrhea. It is common for even mild symptoms from a harmful chemical to make people feel anxious.
What are examples of physical contaminants?
Some of the more common examples of physical contaminants include glass, metal, rubber, bone, wood, stone and plastic. Here's a closer look at how some of those contaminants find their way into food products.
How many groups of pollutants are there in the marine environment?
Chemical contamination of the marine environment (both estuarine and coastal areas) is a highly complex issue. Up to 15 different groups of pollutants including metals, persistent organic contaminants, and emerging organic contaminants can be simultaneously present at different levels in marine ecosystems.
What is the purpose of the chapter on chemical contamination?
This chapter focuses on chemical contamination which, in the context of this book, is used to indicate those situations where chemical contaminants are either present where they should not be or are at higher concentrations than they would have occurred if the chemicals are indigenous to an ecosystem. The chapter also deals with the methods by which chemicals can be introduced into the environment leading to the onset of environmental problems, although inorganic chemicals do not damage the environment, and for many inorganic chemicals the consequences to the environment and the fate of the chemicals are often unknown.
What is chemical contamination?
Chemical contamination may occur at any stage of food production from the farm to the consumer. Chemical contaminants may combine with the substrate of the food, and as some are odorless, they may be difficult to detect by sight or smell. They include
What is Chapter 19 of Agenda 21?
Chapter 21 recognizes that chemical contamination can be a source of ‘grave damage to human health, genetic structures and reproductive outcomes, and the environment.’ .
What is the chemical contamination of water resources?
Chemical contamination of water resources that are utilized for drinking water is highly dependent on surface watershed characteristics that are usually outside city limits (i.e., area of rural versus urban land use and industrial/municipal discharges) and groundwater aquifer characteristics near sources of chemical releases.
What are the concerns of air pollution?
The predominant concern with atmospheric waste is chemical contamination, which presents a hazard to human health. Thus public health is usually the principal driver for assessing and controlling air contaminants. However, air pollution abatement laws and programs have also recognized that effects beyond health are also important, especially welfare protection. One of the main welfare considerations is that ecosystems are important receptors of contamination. Another welfare concern is that contaminants impact structures and other engineered systems by corrosion. Thus from an air pollution perspective, there is a cascade of hazards from human health to ecosystems to abiotic (i.e., nonliving) systems.
How does the release of chemicals into the atmosphere affect the amount of UV radiation?
For example, the release of chemicals into the atmosphere, in turn react with ozone in the stratosphere, decreasing the ozone concentration and increasing the amount of UV radiation at the earth's surface. This has meant that the mean UV dose in the temperate zones of the world has increased.
What are the inorganic contaminants in waterways?
Inorganic contaminants include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Increases in these simple chemicals in waterways are nearly always as a result of land use activities like fertiliser runoff or direct discharges from industry.
How does contaminated water affect mahinga kai?
Potential impacts of chemical contaminants on water quality and mahinga kai. Local loss of fish species - fish may be harmed by contaminated water. Discharges and runoff into rivers and streams can be lethal to aquatic life depending on the strength of the toxin and size of the waterway; contamination can cause fish kills.
What are the chemicals that are found in mass produced products?
Chemical contaminants can be found as organic and inorganic molecules in mass produced products used day to day by almost everybody. These include plastics, resins, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, deodorants, detergents, petroleum products, road runoff, pesticides and biocides, along with the results of land fill and incineration.
What is chemical contamination?
The phrase 'chemical contamination' is used to indicate situations where chemicals are either present where they shouldn’t be, or are at higher concentrations than they would naturally have occurred. Chemical contaminants can be found as organic and inorganic molecules in mass produced products used day to day by almost everybody.
What causes eutrophication?
Most eutrophication is due to the inorganic nutrients nitrate and phosphate that induce the growth of algae. The algae subsequently die, resulting in more organic matter and low oxygen conditions. Find out more about eutrophication. Find out more about nutrient overloading.
What are the chemicals in wastewater?
Alternatively, industries like forest processing, meat and dairy processing, mining, energy, and wastewater treatment may discharge wastewater that can potentially contain inorganic chemical contaminants (e.g., bleach and curing agents , and certain metals like mercury, copper, chrome, zinc, iron, arsenic, and lead ).
How do fish breathe oxygen?
Fish ‘breathe’ oxygen through their gills; a decrease in available oxygen (anoxia) in the water column threatens their ability to respire, which may lead to death. Fish that tolerate low levels of dissolved oxygen (such as the introduced fish gambusia) may replace native populations that are less tolerant.
What is the responsibility of a food business operator?
Responsibility of food business operators. It is the responsibility of the FBO to ensure food is safe and compliant with food legislation. To do this the FBO must have suitable food safety management processes and HACCP in place to manage the risk from chemical contaminants in food.
What are some examples of chemical contaminants?
Examples of chemical contaminants include the following: mycotoxins. heavy metals - lead and mercury. organic pollutants - dioxins. acrylamide which may result from food being processed. Chemical contaminants can enter the food chain from multiple sources. Contamination can occur during primary production from various environmental sources ...
What are some examples of contaminated water?
contaminated water, for example, dioxins, halogenated organic compounds or heavy metals. climatic conditions, for example, wet conditions at key stages during growing and harvest can increase production of mycotoxins. Chemical contaminants can also enter the food chain at the secondary production stage.
What is the role of regulatory controls in food safety?
Among risk management measures, regulatory controls play a key role. Overarching food legislation lays down the general principles and requirements of food law as well as procedures in matters of food safety.
Can a chemical enter the food chain?
Chemical contaminants can also enter the food chain at the secondary production stage. during cooking and processing, for example, acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Chemical contaminants may be harmful to health at certain levels. It is necessary to manage their levels in food and reduce dietary exposure of consumers.
Is chemical contamination harmful?
transportation and handling. Chemical contaminants may be harmful to health at certain levels. It is necessary to manage their levels in food and reduce dietary exposure of consumers. Several measures are in place to manage the risk from these contaminants and reduce the levels at which they are present in food - including good practices ...
How long does it take for a chemical intoxication to occur?
Chemical intoxication is caused by exposure to chemical pollutants and can have immediate effects or delayed effects, which may appear after weeks or even months after the exposure occurred. Severe chemical intoxication may cause the death of the person that inhales an increased quantity of such substances.
What is the definition of chemical pollution?
Chemical pollution is defined as the presence or increase in our environment of chemical pollutants that are not naturally present there or are found in amounts higher than their natural background values. Most of the chemicals that pollute the environment are man-made, resulted from the various activities in which toxic chemicals are used for various purposes.
What are some examples of chemical contaminants?
Examples are most pesticides, herbicides, insecticides used in agriculture and gardening, as well as chlorinated solvents used in many industrial processes and dry-cleaning activities. Based on their chemical structure, chemical contaminants can be classified into naturally-occurring and man-made categories.
What happens if you don't test for ocean pollution?
This means that, if no tests are performed, chemical pollution in the ocean water could pose serious health risks to the ecosystem and ultimately could cause mild or deadly chemical intoxication in humans after the consumption of contaminated fish or seafood.
How does the FDA oversee the safety of food?
food supply (domestic and imports) is by monitoring chemical contaminants in food and assessing the potential exposure and risk posed by these chemicals.
What are the different types of chemical contaminants?
The different types of chemical contaminants include environmental contaminants (such as industrial chemicals called dioxins), process contaminants that form while cooking or heating food (such as acrylamide), and chemical contaminants used for economically motivated adulteration (such as melamine). Some contaminants can have more than one source.
