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Introduction to Food Toxicology
Uniqueness of Food Toxicology
Nature and Complexity of Food
Importance of the Gastrointestinal Tract
Safety Standards for Foods, Food Ingredients and Contaminants
The FD&C Act Provides for a Practicable Approach
Methods Used to Evaluate the Safety of Foods, Ingredients, and Contaminants
Safety Evaluation of Direct Food and Color Additives
Exposure: The Estimated Daily Intake
Assignment of Concern Level and Required Testing
Safety Determination of Indirect Food Additives
Safety Requirements for GRAS Substances
Establishing Safe Conditions of Use for New Foods, Macroingredients and New Technologies
Functional Foods
Safety Requirements for Dietary Supplements
Assessment of Carcinogens
Carcinogenicity as a Special Problem
Biological Versus Statistical Significance
Carcinogenic Contaminants
Adverse Reactions to Food or Food Ingredients
Food Allergy
Food Idiosyncrasy
Anaphylactoid Reactions
Food-Drug Interactions
Metabolic Food Reactions
Toxic Substances in Food
Heavy Metals
Halogenated Hydrocarbons (Polychlorinated and Polybrominated Hydrocarbons)
Nitrosmaines, Nitrosamides, and N-Nitroso Substances
Food-borne Molds and Mycotoxins
Aflatoxins
Trichothecenes
Fumonisins
Ochratoxin A
Ethyl Carbamate
Fluoride
Toxins in Fish, Shellfish, and Turtles
Marine Toxins
Innate Marine Toxins
Microbiological Agents—Preformed Bacterial Toxins
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Substances Produced by Cooking or Processing
Heterocyclic Amines
Acrylamide
Furan
Miscellaneous Contaminants in Food
Conclusion
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Introduction to Food Toxicology
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The typical Western diet contains hundreds of thousands of substances naturally present in food and many more, which are formed in situ when food is cooked or processed. Many of these substances affect the nutritional and esthetic qualities of food including appearance and organoleptic properties (ie, flavor, texture, or aroma) that determine whether or not we will even try the food or take a second bite. Whereas substances present in food may be nutritional and/or gratifying, they may not necessarily be “safe” in any amount or for any intended use. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act gives the Federal government the authority to ensure that all foods involved in interstate commerce are safe. Congress, in writing the Act (and its subsequent amendments), understood that safety cannot be proved absolutely and indicated instead that the safety standard for substances added to food can be no more than a reasonable certainty of no harm. As will be pointed out in other sections of this chapter, the language of the FD&C Act effectively provides for practical and workable approaches to the assessment of safety for food, food ingredients, and food contaminants. Because food is highly complex, the legal framework provided by Congress for the regulation of food and substances in ...