Contaminants are chemical compounds that may be present in food because of production, processing, packaging, and transportation or from the environment.
Depending on the type of contaminant, exposure, and degree of toxicity, they may be more or less hazardous to the environment, animals, and humans.
In order to prevent the presence of contaminants in food and thus protect consumers’ health, the continuous monitoring throughout the supply chain is of utmost importance.
How they can be divided:
- Of natural origin
- Heavy metals
- Mycotoxins
- Plant toxins
- Marine biotoxins
- Environmental pollutants
- Flame retardants: PBDEs
- Dioxins and PCBs
- PFAS
- Process
- Acrylamide
- Furan
- MCPD and glycidyl esters
EU: Framework Regulation for maximum limits of contaminants in food
Regulation (EC) 1881/2006, a document that is constantly amended, sets the maximum levels of contaminants in food.
Food contaminants: why so many updates and changes?
Consumers and industry focus on food quality, safety, and sustainability
- Consumers and organizations are increasingly aware of and concerned about food safety and quality, partly because of the increase in alerts around the world.
- There is also increasing attention and awareness to issues related to social, economic, environmental, and food sustainability.
Consumption of alternative, ultra-processed foods
- Consumption of increasingly varied and processed foods, given by the desire to adopt diets e.g. plant-based or protein diets (plant-based products, meat alternatives, dairy alternatives, high-protein foods) for ethical or health discourses, implies development and innovation from a production point of view but also the possible emergence of new food hazards: process contaminants, allergens.
Data availability
- In a clearly more interconnected world, there is increasing data available for food safety Authorities conducting risk assessments and human exposure to specific contaminants.
Climate Change
- Environmental pollution and climate change inevitably have a significant impact on air, water and soil contamination and may also contribute to the development of emerging contaminants that enter along the supply chain, all the way to the consumer table.
What do we expect for the future?
Research, development and changes are ongoing and necessary to meet high standards of accessibility, safety and quality of products to end consumers.
In a context where prevention is important and thus taking risk mitigation measures, the study of emerging food hazards is the key factor. Among the most recently discussed, there are endocrine disruptors, emerging toxins, environmental contaminants, process contaminants, poly and perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH), nitrosamines in food, plasticizers, phthalates, new allergens, etc.
The comprehensive support of Mérieux NutriSciences
Mérieux NutriSciences provides all-inclusive solutions for food quality, safety and sustainability.
Our laboratories constantly work to support food industries in the research, development, innovation and implementation of cutting-edge analytical methods for the determination of contaminants in food.
Thanks to R&D, experienced analytical technicians, and a team specialized monitoring food legislation, alerts and fraud, Mérieux NutriSciences focuses and records future trends and emerging risks in the food industry.
Sources:
- Food Contaminants, Yi Shuai, Haixia Sui, Gonghua Tao, Qian Huo, Chen Li & Naimin Shao, Nutritional Toxicology, pp 107–166, 2022
- Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006
- Codex Alimentarius FAO-WHO
- EFSA, Climate change as a driver of emerging risks for food and feed safety, plant, animal health and nutritional quality, 2020
- EFSA, Public Consultation (12.10.2022-22.11.2022)
- Rivera-Péres A., et al., Persistent organic polluttants (PCBs and PCDD/Fs), PAHs, and plasticizers in spices, herbs, and tea – A review of chromatographic methods from the last decade (2010-2020), 2021