Chemical Food Safety

Book excerpt: Chemical food safety deals with all aspects of chemical risks in the food chain, predominantly with the biologically active components of food, additives, contaminants and their toxicology. Preventing the contamination of food with problematic chemical compounds requires a thorough understanding of how compounds enter and pass through the food production process, in addition to toxicology and risk management. Chemical Food Safety covers the underlying principles and applied science required to understand, analyse and take professional action on food safety problems and questions that call for interventions at a local, national or international level. The text follows food contaminants through the production and processing of plant, fungal, algal and animal foods, including oral exposure and intestinal absorption. Risk assessment is explained in the context of targeted future risk management and risk communication, with a view to assessing, managing and communicating risk in the food chain.Chemical Food Safety is ideal for higher level students as well as those working in the food production industry, consultants and national food authorities.