What is food contamination?
Food contamination can be categorized as biological, physical, and chemical, depending on its nature and origin. Its effects can become far-reaching.
Chemical contamination in food is one of the leading concerns of consumers.
Chemical contamination in food is one of the leading concerns of consumers.
Chemical contamination of food is one of the major food safety hazards in the food industry. This type of contamination poses a great health risk to consumers as it can cause both immediate and long-term effects. Chemical contamination in food is very common and can enter the food chain system at any point when improperly monitored. The first step to preventing chemical contamination and protecting your customers is understanding which contaminants are under this category.
In a recent food and health survey published in 2021, consumers ranked the presence of chemicals in food as a top food safety concern. This survey shows that the lack of common information on chemical ingredients may be a big problem. Distinguishing between safe chemical components and chemical contaminants is an essential task for both customers and food handlers.
In this article, we talk about what are chemical contaminants for food handlers and some of the essential points to know to avoid them.
WHAT WE'LL COVER:
Chemical contamination refers to the presence of unwanted chemical substances in food or feed. Like other types of food contamination, chemical contamination can occur at any point in the food chain. Chemicals that are considered to be contaminants in food vary significantly in categories.
Even if a chemical is considered safe, its unintentional presence is still considered a form of contamination. Chemical contamination can be indicative of the food processes applied to raw materials. Traces of chemical contamination, such as toxic compounds, can give food handlers and inspectors a glimpse of non-compliances that may have occurred during processing.
For example, the presence of exceedingly high levels of pesticides and other toxic chemicals on food ingredients can indicate malpractice or non-compliance to approved food safety regulations during the growing periods.
While not all chemical contamination poses an immediate threat to human health, some chemical hazards can accumulate in the body and cause long-term adverse effects.
Learn more about the two other types of food contamination, biological and physical, from our Food Safety Blog.
Chemical contaminants are inorganic or organic compounds that are toxic and can cause harm to consumers when present in foods. Chemical contaminants can be non-harmful at low levels or very toxic. This type of contaminant is one of the main food safety hazards that can make food unsafe for consumption.
Chemicals that can be considered food contaminants are abundant in any commercial kitchen. Cleaning supplies, handwashing soap, additives, and preservatives can come in contact with food through cross - contamination and increase the risk of causing foodborne illnesses. Chemical contaminants can also be sometimes found as drinking water contaminants, which pose a significant threat to your food business.
Some chemical contaminants may be naturally present in foods for human consumption and can be removed through processing. Examples of these natural contaminants include the antinutrients in soybeans and glycoalkaloids in potatoes. The former example can be removed by simply soaking and peeling the soybeans, whereas glycoalkaloids can be removed through adequate cooking enough to achieve safety but maintain food quality.
In contrast to removing chemical contaminants through processing, some examples of chemical contaminants are produced through overprocessing foods. Toxic chemical substances, such as acrylamide, are formed when high-protein foods are exposed to extreme heat for a prolonged time. This process contamination commonly occurs in overprocessing fried foods such as french fries, potato chips, and processed meats. Food processing contaminants are common when overprocessing and unregulated operations are present.
Any chemical, whether organic or inorganic, that is unintentionally present in a food product is considered a chemical contaminant. The sources of these contaminants may vary and may imply different meanings.
Chemical contaminants and food safety hazards are present all around the food industry. Chemicals help preserve food safety, prolong shelf life, and reinforce a clean environment for processing food products. Some food-safe chemicals can also be considered contaminants when improperly used.
Specifically, some of the most common chemical food contaminant examples include:
In some countries, contamination by chemicals is permitted, provided that the level of contamination is within the approved limit. The threshold level may vary among developed and underdeveloped countries depending on their daily intake. Exceeding established thresholds makes these chemicals toxic contaminants and can manifest dietary implications.
Not all chemical contaminants pose a significant food safety risk in small levels in food. For example, human exposure or direct contact with very low heavy metal concentrations may not have rapid potential health effects or just cause mild gastroenteritis. Despite this, accumulation through aggregate exposures to food contaminants can cause adverse health effects.
Some of the mentioned chemical food contaminants, such as cleaning solutions, flame retardants, and preservatives, are common items in a food business facility. Food safety plans consisting of proper handling and regular monitoring are needed to prevent these harmful substances from contaminating food. Sources of food contamination can be immediately addressed with comprehensive food safety plans.
As mentioned, chemical contaminants can either be inorganic or organic contaminants. The difference between these two categories is on a molecular level. Each classification consists of a wide range of chemical contaminant examples and can cause a wide range of human health effects.
The more general classification of chemical contamination in foods is based on their sources within the food chain cycle.
Environmental contaminants can be sourced from agricultural processes and industrial chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, and water treatment operations that contaminate fresh produce or cause contamination in drinking water and soil. Heavy metal contamination in the environment can be easily transferred into the food we use for human consumption when improperly regulated. Studies of toxic metal contaminants and their transfer from soils to crops and fruits have been widely researched in the industry.
The mentioned major types of chemical contamination can enter the food production chain at any point. Chemical contaminations are also often categorized as intentional or unintentional. The former category includes unwanted chemical compounds added to the food as a form of terrorism or to mask an unwanted character. On the other hand, unintentional chemical contaminations are those that are introduced through the environment of the food.
While some types of chemical contamination are hard to eliminate or avoid in foods completely, regulatory measures for the minimum and maximum contaminant levels are set to protect public health from adverse health effects.
Unsafe chemical contamination is present everywhere and can enter the food system without proper food handling practices. Contamination can come from raw sources of food materials, processing methods, food packaging materials, and agricultural products.
Chemical contamination in food may occur from the following common food contamination sources.
An example is an alkaloid produced by plants, which can induce digestive, neural, and immune system problems when consumed in excess. This substance is part of the defense mechanism of plants to protect themselves from herbivores. Dietary exposure to some of these toxic compounds can cause serious problems.
These can become environmental pollutants and cause a wide range of food safety issues. Some plants can act as bioremediators and collect toxic chemicals, heavy metals, or antimicrobial residues from contaminated soil and water. As such, monitoring and ensuring that your food supply follows food safety regulations is a must to avoid contamination of foods.
The water and soil used to produce food supply must be regulated and monitored to ensure they are within food safety standards and contaminant levels are low. Contaminants of drinking water can easily spread throughout a domestic kitchen when improperly regulated.
In the same light, chemical contamination of food can also occur due to improperly removed cleaning solutions or food contact chemicals on equipment and surfaces.
Additionally, food can also be contaminated by chemical by-products produced during processing. The Food and Drug Administration summarized some of the most common process contaminants in foods resulting from heating and fermentation.
The design of food processing lines must consider critical limits and maximum levels to avoid producing toxic by-products and similarly ensure a hygienic design for cleaning and sanitizing surfaces.
When unregulated, chemical compounds from food containers, such as metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, melamine, and plasticizers, can migrate into the food being held. Some studies show the iron migration of compounds from cans into foodstuff during storage. Frequent or daily exposure to food packaging migrants can cause cumulative human health effects.
Another type of intentional adulteration is when food handlers deliberately add extenders, preservatives, or food additives and contaminants to increase bulk size or improve food quality without declaring the additional ingredient.
Some chemical contamination or toxic compounds may produce immediate potential health risks for consumers, whereas others don't. The latter type of chemical contamination effect can occur as a result of repeated dietary exposure of a consumer to the same contaminant, such as heavy metal accumulation, causing chronic foodborne infections.
A wide range of foodborne outbreaks due to chemical contamination or toxic compound is more likely to occur when food handlers do not practice proper food handling procedures and the operations lack proper monitoring of food materials. All food businesses must have appropriate food safety plans to control chemical contamination.
Excessive use of food contact chemicals for cleaning and agricultural processes can lead to contamination of drinking water and food materials. In addition, incorrect food sanitation operations and schedules can increase the risk of chemical contamination.
Food handlers who are not practicing proper sanitation and hygiene can cross-contaminate food products and spread organic pollutants. Personal care products used by food handlers inside the food facility can contaminate the food supply when unregulated.
These cases can be significantly reduced if your food business employs a comprehensive food safety management system. At FoodDocs, we provide an intuitive solution to help your team reduce the likelihood of causing chemical contamination in your food business.
Use our digital Food Safety Management System to automatically generate your team's most important food safety monitoring logs and checklists. Powered by artificial intelligence and a machine learning program, you can get a comprehensive digital Food Safety Management System in just 15 minutes.
Chemical contamination in food can cause foodborne illnesses. Some chemical contaminants can cause acute or rapid adverse health effects on affected individuals, whereas others may take time to manifest. Physiological effects may sometimes be very evident.
Some symptoms and acute effects of foodborne infection from human exposure chemical contamination may include:
Chronic effects of chemical contamination due to repeated human exposure and dietary intake can cause diseases such as cancer and renal, hepatic, and neurological syndromes. The symptoms and toxic effects of chemical food contamination examples may vary depending on their origin and concentration. Chronic foodborne diseases are usually associated with the effects of pesticides and other toxic substances.
On a federal level, the United States FDA and European Food Safety Authority regulate and monitor chemical contaminants in foods. The safety agencies employ monitoring programs and regulatory compliance for naturally occurring toxins, agricultural products, and other chemical contaminants to reduce the risk of human exposure to food contaminants and their potential dietary intake and adverse effects.
The detection of chemical contamination is often the task of food manufacturers. Suppliers of raw foods to food businesses are required to declare the results of their chemical analyses upon the delivery of their products for official control purposes.
Detection of chemical contamination in food is mostly done through analytical methods such as liquid chromatography and spectrometry, which give precise and accurate detection levels based on a standard. These analytical methods have been tested to prove their efficacy in detecting chemical contaminations and are often used as standard methods.
Other detection procedures that yield immediate results include testing kits and smart devices. These procedures can help food businesses identify if food is contaminated and can be further analyzed through more thorough procedures in a laboratory. Contamination measurements in drinking water are done through rapid methods and kits, such as test strips with known standards. Although very general, such tests can give food handlers an idea if there are contaminating products in drinking water.
Food handlers play a great role in preventing the risk of causing chemical contamination of food. Proper food sanitation and handling can significantly reduce the occurrence of chemical contamination.
Here are some common ways that you can do to prevent causing chemical contamination or control the implications of food contamination in your food business:
The presence of chemical contamination in food has remained a top concern among consumers. The human health effects of chemical contamination can lead to serious food contamination incidents and be very costly for your food business. The key to avoiding such food safety issues is ensuring that chemical contaminations are controlled or eliminated from the source of food contamination.
The best solution to address chemical contamination of food and all other food safety concerns is to use a digital solution that offers intuitive features for your operations. At FoodDocs, this solution is exactly what we provide to food businesses.
You can get a digital Food Safety Management System to help control operations related to monitoring chemical contaminations in just 15 minutes. With our digital solution, you can get the most important monitoring logs and other intuitive features that will help you improve efficiency.
Here are some of the most significant features that can help you control chemical contamination in your operations:
Master Sanitation Schedule from FoodDocs
Sanitizer Concentration Verification from FoodDocs
In addition to features that will help food handlers control monitoring procedures, our digital solution also offers features that can improve the efficiency of managing food safety operations.
In addition to the quick generation of a comprehensive digital Food Safety Management System, opting for a food safety solution in a digital platform can be your first step to becoming more sustainable. With FoodDocs, you can consistently improve food safety compliance while contributing positive actions to the environment.
Our digital solution complies with the most significant food safety regulations and provides references to the most applicable standards based on your operations and location. What makes our system flexible is that you can customize monitoring logs to improve or tailor them to your operations better.
Discover and experience more of our features and services using our free 14-day trial and become one of the 30,000 customers enjoying food safety compliance using our digital solutions.
Food contamination can be categorized as biological, physical, and chemical, depending on its nature and origin. Its effects can become far-reaching.
When microorganisms are unintentionally present in food, they are considered biological contamination. Learn how to detect and avoid it.
Food contaminations can be biological, physical, or chemical in nature. Among these types of food contamination, cooking is proven effective. Learn...